Part2 of a series:
The H. M. Northward Prison Report
Progress Since the Riot
In May of this year,Sir David Ramsbotham, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisonssubmitted to His Excellency the Governor, Mr Peter Smith, a reportcontaining his opinions on progress made in the Cayman Islands'prison conditions since a two-day riot of 1999 at the Northwardprison, based on inspection in March. Following an overview ofthe report published by Cayman Net News last week, this newspaperwill be publishing a series of articles, in successive editionsin the coming weeks.
Sir David said that in the 18 months sincethe conclusion of the disturbance physical control had been completelyre-established in the prison and staggering quantities of dangerousweapons had been retrieved from prison.
He said it was clear that in the months and years before the riotprisoners had been able to bring into the prison huge quantitiesof weapons, such as machetes and axes, which they kept, on themin order to protect themselves from each other.
"That such weaponry had been so easilysmuggled into the prison, and held there without staff action,demonstrates the parlous state in which security and good orderhad sunk in the months and years before the riot" he said.
The UK Chief Inspector of Prisons said hefound evidence of 'no go' areas for staff, although the shapeand design of the physical environment of the living units tendedto be threatening.
"Most staff moved freely about theprison although we heard from prisoners that some officers wereless confident than they should have been about supervising allparts of the units."
He said the prison staff on secondment fromthe UK had given a first class professional example in the firmbut fair treatment of prisoners. This was reflected by prisonersin their discussions.
Sir David was particularly pleased by cooperationdisplayed between inmates and staff as they worked on reconstructionof the prison.
"A quite remarkable programme of self-helprebuilding was in full swing to restore, and in some cases improve,the necessary facilities of the prison. This was being led bymanagers, staff and prisoners who were exercising outstandinginitiative and commitment to the prison by designing new buildingsand begging the necessary material from the community in orderto improve the prison's facilities. There were very encouragingsigns indeed of the community responding to this enterprise invery positive ways which bodes well for the future. The use ofprisoners in carrying out this work (including the technical work)was an outstanding example of good practice that bears comparisonwith anything we have seen in the United Kingdom or elsewhere."
He said this had created a general atmosphereamong prisoners and staff at Northward that was friendly and relaxed.He warned, however, that not far beneath the surface, there remaineddeep unease on both sides about difficulties in consolidating,maintaining and developing progress that had been achieved sincethe riot.
According to him the reasons for uneaserelated to conditions consistent with overcrowding which stillexisted and that the prison could once again be required to containmore prisoners than it could properly hold; and there remaineddeep feelings of injustice among prisoners serving life sentencesalong determinate sentences.
Additional reasons for the unease he saidwere:" although the problems in communicating with prisonersthat were referred to in Sir Stephen Tumim's (Sir David's predecessorwho conducted an inquiry) report as a cause of the riot had notbeen described in detail, we could easily see for ourselves tensionbetween managers and staff, between staff themselves and betweenstaff and prisoners. Regrettably, these all too easily were interpretedas differences between races, whereas in our view the tensionswere actually far more to do with the low levels of professionalcompetence that we saw in too many officers. This was particularlyso in what could be described as the 'nuts and bolts' of prisonwork.
"Considerable anxiety was evident,especially among prisoners, about what would happen in the prisonafter the departure of UK staff. This was due to the fact theyrecognised that there was insufficient quality and experiencein the non-United Kingdom managers and staff to give them confidencethat the issues that caused the riot would not be repeated."
Overcrowding
He said there was no independent process for certifying prisonaccommodation as suitable to hold prisoners as the Director ofthe prison was the sole arbiter.
On his first day of the inspection he wastold that the official capacity for the Northward facility, whichnow holds males only, was 214 persons and that 207 inmates werebeing held there. The capacity for the Fairbankls women's prisonwas 32 and it has 23 prisoners.
He said that three adult male inmates servinglong sentences for serious crimes were held in prisons in theUnited Kingdom, each at a cost 200 pound sterling a night andan additional five prisoners were held in police cells, supervisedby police officers in Georgetown.
Sir David said that the director of prisonswas anxious to revlieve the police of the task of holding prisonersin police cells on behalf of the prison and plans were being madefor refurbishing of cellblocks in George Town police station,that were to be staffed by prison officers as an annex to Northwardprison.
"Our main concern about this otherwiseeminently sensible proposal was the likely effect it would havein draining prison officer resources away from Northward."
He reported that further plans were in handto expand the curtailege of the prison on the north side in orderto provide low security (category C equivalent) accommodationfor additional 40 prisoners, thus increasing the official capacityof the prison. Regrettably, these plans were not able to be supportedby public funds and were therefore likely to be delayed, the officialadded.
Sir David commented that despite recognitionby government officials that overcrowding had been one of theprincipal causes of the riot in 1999 there appeared again to bea relentless growth in the number of men requiring to be heldin custody.
" As far we could tell, however, noforecasting of the future need for custodial places had takenplace and therefore no strategic planning with regard to the fundingof additional places".
He said this situation apparently left theprison Director to make whatever arrangements he could as regardsaccommodation.
"He was doing well, ably supportedby the Commissioner of Police, but at best this could only bea very temporary solution.
Unless action is taken now, the crisis ofovercrowding that was experienced in the 1990's will be repeated,with the very real prospect of dire consequences. There is nosatisfactory solution other than that the Government must determinethe number of places in custody that the criminal justice systemon Cayman needs, based on informations research forecasting, andthat the necessary funding for additional places must be provided."
Sir David listed a number of areas in whichhe saw deficiencies at Northward:
"Employment: workshops having beendestroyed during the riot, there was only employment for approximately140 men, this included 50 places in education,
"Physical Education: apart from a footballpitch and small paddocks abutting the units there were no facilitiesfor organised physical reaction,
"Visits: the area between the outerand inner main gates had been pressed into service as highly unsatisfactoryvisiting area,
"Health Care: no suitable buildingsexisted for primary care, for the care of those with serious physicalor mental illness, or for the health screening of new prisoners,
"Education: Two classrooms were insufficientto meet the educational needs of prisoners,
"Immigration Detention and place ofsafety: small pockets of unsatisfactory accommodation were beingused to house immigration detainees and those suffering from seriousillness.
"Laundry: without a central laundry,clothing was being washed in unsuitable domestic washing machinesaround the prison".
"In our view it would be foolish inthe extreme to allow any increase in the number of prisoners heldat Northward above the accepted capacity of 214 until plannedarrangements have been implemented not only for additional sleepingaccommodation but also for essential regime activities. To doso risks further serious disorder. Furthermore, as this reportrecords later, regime facilities need to be significantly improvedin many areas.
"We also recommend that an independentauthority, working to establish criteria, should certify the numbero f prisoners able to be held at Northward and Fairbanks prisons.This function could, after training, be carried out by a constitutedBoard of Visitors" the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons said.