Dennis: Insufficient dialogue on Glen Road prison

Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis has apologised for the "lack of consultation" with Glen Road, Scarborough residents before a decision was made to put the Tobago Correctional Facility in their neighbourhood.

Prisons Commissioner Dennis Pulchan, on a tour of the facility last Friday, announcement the relocation of the prison from Crown Point to Glen Road.

At Wednesday's post Executive Council media briefing, Dennis said, "I must say, the process could have been better. My information is there was not enough consultation, if any at all, with persons residing in the community. Therefore I understand their concerns and I want to apologise to them for the apparent lack of sufficient consultation."

Dennis said the covid19 outbreak at the Tobago Convict Prison in Crown Point last month forced officials to make a quick decision. On October 8 the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development announced 13 prisoners and five prison officers had contracted the virus.

Dennis said, "But we are in a pandemic and certain decisions have to be taken urgently to ensure we not only preserve our population but the prison population, who are human beings just like us and deserve the same kind of respect and treatment with respect to preserving their lives from the effects of this pandemic."