[UPDATED] Prison officers want Port of Spain jail shut down

The Prison Officers Association is calling for the resignation of Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar and the closure of the Port of Spain prison.

This as the fallout continues over the riot at the prison on March 26.

The riot broke out after inmates became involved in an altercation between another inmate and a prison officer.

It resulted in the death of one prisoner and left 17 prison officers and six inmates injured.

Speaking at a press conference on April 23, general secretary of the association Lester Logie said the prison had outlived its usefulness.

He described it as a “hell hole” and said prison officers and inmates were forced to deal with occupational safety and health (OSH) issues on a daily basis.

“I can't describe the deplorable condition in that place. There is black mould. I had to have a prisoner to hold up the gate to assist me to open the cell for the inmates to come out and lift it up for me to close it back.

“There are no slop pails. When I inquired from the inmates they said they (prison authorities) took all the pails because they don't want them throwing faeces. I had to navigate through faeces to open the cells on a morning.”

Logie said he planned to send letters from his colleagues to the Prime Minister outlining their concerns.

“I have 27 letters from members of staff who work at that main prison in Port of Spain that we will be forwarding to the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security for them to take some kind of necessary action.”

Logie said the riot could have been avoided if the association’s recommendations to the National Security Minister had been acted upon.

“We would have made recommendations to close that facility and relocate the inmates to the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) and put the dormitory and the admin building at MSP on the outside of the prison.

He also pointed to a string of attacks against officers and freed inmates who were either shot or assaulted outside the prison.

Logie said this, coupled with the threats officers receive inside the prison, is why officers should be armed.

“Inmates are telling us, ‘Allyuh have to sign for that (gun), we don't have to sign for them thing… We have it on we right through.’

“It's time we had to move away from that colonial mentality where firearms is concerned. We have reached a point where all law-enforcement officers need to be armed and allow them to purchase their firearms because the State will not purchase firearms for all of us.”

Association president Gerard Gordon referenced a jailbreak at the Port of Spain prison in 2015 when Hassan Atwell, Christopher “Monster” Selby and Allan “Scanny” Martin shot their way out of the jail.

A police officer was shot and killed during their escape.

Atwell and Martin were shot dead while Selby eventually surrendered to police.

“What happened in 2015 was a disaster for the entire nation. We are in 2024 and I am asking…what has been done to that facility from what we would have learned. What would have been done to reduce the chances of something like that happening again?”

Despite Ramoutar having just over a month of service remaining before retirement, Logie and Gordon both called on him to resign.

They said the association and its members had lost confidence in his leadership.

They said their confidence was damaged further after Ramoutar made disparaging comments in a radio interview about the association’s role in addressing the smuggling of contraband into the prison.

Contacted for comment, Ramoutar hit back furiously and said he had no intention of resigning.

Responding to Gordon’s questions over the 2015 jailbreak, Ramoutar said the association should focus on its membership.

“I would say (about the 2015 jailbreak) that guns would have entered the prison by some prison officer not doing their job. What are they saying about that?”

He accused the association’s leaders of having an agenda and acting on behalf of some of their members.

“My actions to get the prison back on the right track by moving officers from their comfort zone and putting them in places where they know how to work is hurting some people. I believe they have run to the association for redress in that matter and the association (believes) the best solution is to move the commissioner.

“I don't know if they think they can get someone who they can control, but they will not be able to dictate my management skills.”

Ramoutar vowed to maintain his management and leadership style until he leaves.

“I need to continue what I'm doing as my job dictates me to do. Things like regular searches, motivating officers and chastising those who are not doing their job. But there are many other officers on the ground who are very, very supportive of my leadership. Silent as they are, they are happy to see that someone is now putting things right.”

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

The Prison Officers Association is calling for Commissioner of Prisons Deopersad Ramoutar's resignation and the closure of the Port of Spain prison.

This is part of the fallout over the riot at the prison on March 26.

The riot broke out after inmates became involved in an altercation between another inmate and a prison officer. It resulted in the death of one prisoner and left 17 officers and six inmates injured.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, general secretary of the association Lester Logie said the prison had outlived its usefulness.

He described it as a “hellhole” and said prison officers and inmates are made to deal with occupational safety and health (OSH) issues daily such as mould, broken cell gates and a shortage of slop pails, among other things.

Despite Ramoutar's having just over a month of service left before his retirement, Logie and association president Gerard Gordon both called on him to resign. They said the association and its members had lost confidence in his leadership.

They said their confidence was further dented after Ramoutar made disparaging comments in a radio interview on Monday about the association’s role in addressing contraband being smuggled into the prison.