Prison Riot Could Recur
A reportfollowing the inspection of H. M. Prison at Northward and Fairbankswarns that current conditions at the Northward facility for malescould prompt a reoccurrence of the 1999 riots with dire consequencesbecause there appears a drift towards overcrowding the mainreason for the last unrest
Cayman Net News has been forwarded a copyof the report submitted by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons,Sir David RamsBotham, on the state of this country's penitentiary,which has been forwarded to the Governor, His Excellency, Mr.Peter Smith, in which he had a few kudos for improvement workdone since the riots.
However, in the main he addressed a numberof ills in the system of Cayman's prison administration, he feltthat if left unchecked many of the unresolved issues can see aperpetration of a feeling of dissatisfaction among staff and inmates.
The range of issues spans from hopelessnessof prisoners because there is not an effective parole system,an unwitting disrespect for their human rights, inappropriatetreatment of juveniles, lack of training along with discriminationand overcrowding this being the issue of greatest concern.
"Overcrowding was one of the majorcauses of the riot, with too many prisoners being held in unsatisfactoryaccommodation with nothing to do. Those conditions still largelyapply, and I am concerned particularly about the conditions onB Wing, which is little more than a long, dark corridor, on eitherside of which are cells each containing two men, but which lacksany form of association or accommodation," he said in thereport submitted on 24 May this year.
On the first day of Sir David's inspection,which ran from 25 to 30 March, he was told that the Northwardprison population stood at 207 and the facility had a capacityto hold 214 inmates. He recommended however that there shouldbe no more than 212 persons held in cells there.
He emphasised that a measure of adequateaccommodation should not be the only criterion by which housingof prisoners is rated. On that matter of numbers, the UK ChiefInspector of Prisons commented that the Director of Cayman Prisonswas the only person certifying the number of prisoners the facilitywas equipped to hold.
"We also recommend that an independentauthority, working to established criteria, should certify thenumber of prisoners at NorthWard and Fairbanks prisons. This functioncould, after training, be carried out by a constituted Board ofVisitors," he said.
It is with a backdrop of the prison population being near thestated capacity that he reported a steady growth in the numberof men needed to be held in custody and observed that none-the-lessthere was no forecasting of future needs and therefore no strategicplanning for acquisition of funding for additional accommodation.
"There is no satisfactory solutionother than that the Government must determine the number of placesin custody that the criminal justice system on Cayman needs, basedon informed research forecasting, and that the necessary fundingfor additional places must be provided."
He added: "In my opinion it would befoolish in the extreme to allow any increase in the number ofprisoners held at Northward above the accepted capacity of 214until planned arrangements have been implemented not only foradditional sleeping accommodation but also for essential regimeactivities. To do so risks further disorder".
Additionally, he said that there was unsatisfactoryaccommodation for immigration detainees and inmates sufferingfrom serious illnesses. At the time of the two-day riot in 1999the Northward facility held more than 300 inmates.
Sir David was equally disapproving of theconditions under which juveniles were detained. He said that atthe time of his visit 15 males between ages 17 and 21 were heldat Northward. A further five youngsters, including a girl anda boy aged 14, were held in theWest Bay lock-up at which the conditionswere described as atrocious and a disgrace.
"Conditions in the West Bay lock-upwere simply unacceptable in a civilised society. Young peoplewere literally caged for weeks and months in dirty cells, withoutnatural or even artificial light. The electricity had been switchedoff and bulbs removed because young people, no doubt out of boredomand mischief, had removed them. This treatment was inexcusablenot least because there was a perfectly adequate fenced paddockadjoining the lock-up that was suitable for educational and recreationalactivities, but which was seriously underused. We recommend thatthe West Bay lock-up not be used to hold young people."
"I would ask those responsible whetherthey would think it appropriate for their own children to be heldin conditions like this, and then remember that those in theircare are also children, whatever crime they may be accused ofcommitting," he added.
He said that the safety of youngsters at Northward depended onwhich staff were on duty and there was insufficient constructiveactivity for them.
At the Fairbanks prison for women, wherethere were 23 inmates in a stated holding capacity of 32, SirDavid met conditions more to his approval that at Northward, andthe West Bay lock-up..
He reported that ages of the Fairbanks prisonfor women, population were from 17 years upwards. Included herewere one person on a sentence of 14 years imprisonment and 14Jamaicans serving long sentences for cocaine smuggling.
"As far as women are concerned, I commendthe developments at HMP Fairbanks I believe that the site hasmuch potential, and that it makes eminent good sense to keep womenprisoners there rather than return them to Northward," hereported.
The chief area of concern at Fairbanks wasthe type of meals served to the women. In this regard he founda situation comparable to what obtained in England and Wales in1997 where there was not enough understanding of the differencein dietary needs of women and men. "in short there was toomuch starch, too few vegetables and too little fresh fruit. Itmay be that the key to this is that all the stores came from Northwardprison. In our view there was a need for Fairbanks to controlits own budget for food and items should be bought which meetthe needs of women," he said.
It is understood that the report, whichwas funded by Governor's office is now with the Director of Prisons,Mr. John Forster and the Chief Secretary of the Cayman IslandsGovernment, Mr. James Ryan.