Wednesday, 9 February2000 | Updated at 11:10 PM |

Police Commissionerat work late along with Task Force in an effort to re-captureescaped prisoners

Mr. David Thursfield, the Royal Cayman IslandsPolice chief was doing extra duty tonight at Police Headquarterssupporting intensive search efforts to locate and re-capture thefour prisoners who escaped from their cells, by escaping throughprevious poorly reinforced windows at the George Town lock-up.

Teams of 10 Officers in a Special Task Forceare working 12 hour shifts on this case in addition to the regulardeployment of Officers, who are on the lookout and also search,in addition to their regular duties. No sightings have been reportedof Steve Manderson, McAndy Thomas, Jeffrey Barnes on alleged rapecharge and Travis Ebanks on suspicion of theft.

The Police Commissioner expressed that Community's"peace of mind" is essential, and that his Officersare going 'all out" to apprehend these men. A cash rewardmay be offered to persons who have assisted Police in the recaptureof these escapees through information provided.

NorthwardPrison security priority of new Director
In the works are plans to erect a 16 foot high fence with a 6foot stainless steel skirting. This improvement will replace the'see through' porous chain link fence, which has been penetratedmany times over in the past. A paved perimeter road will alsobe built to encompass the entire compound, allowing for frequentvehicular patrols ... and rapid deployment of security personneland equipment.

The new Prison Director, Mr.. Nicholas Brooke,who was appointed to replace Mr. Eric Smith appears to have thePrison and it's administration under control and close to normalcy.The Clinic on the compound which is still out-of-bounds owingto extensive damage, may be resuscitated owing to the limitedspace and ineffectiveness of a small office in the Gate Lodge,because of the limited space allocated for treatments and processingof prisoners when being booked into the institution.

The total Prison population, now spreadbetween - 150 men at Northward; 27 women at the East End CivicCentre; 35 at Tent City; and about eight (now less 4, of course)at Police Headquarters - has dropped to a low in the range of220, which represents approximately 70 percent of the overcrowdedover 300 which were held prior to the upheaval at the institutionin September of last year.

It is understood that some 38 prisonerswill be considered for parole in the next few weeks. Along withthis, there is a strong feeling among some reformists, that theparole system could be use as a positive carrot to promote betterbehavior among the inmates, if they (the inmates) are aware thatthey could have the opportunity to be interviewed personally aspart of the screening process, instead of not being present whena file is delivered up for the members of the Parole Board torule on it's contents ... not on the individual being considered.

One prisoner, who was sentenced for murderand was serving time at the 'pleasure of the Governor' is scheduledto be released in June after spending 13 years behind bars. Anaccomplished artist, he should be utilized on release to instillin Cayman's Youth today, how their own lives will be wasted prison.

He should know, he was a mere teenager whenhe was committed.