Union leader suggests BDF take control of jail

Measures are in place to safeguard the integrity of Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Dodds and inmates throughout a five-day period of testing and contact tracing after two Prison Officers tested positive for COVID-19.

But the outspoken trade unionist who represents unionised wardens, Senator Caswell Franklyn, has called for the imposition of martial law on the prison amid claims of growing unease among guards.

“My suggestion is that the best thing for them to do now is to declare a State of Emergency in that area and ask the Defence Force to man the prison because they don’t have enough officers even without the threat of the coronavirus.

“What would happen if the prisoners set their mind to it and decide that they want to take over the prison? There would be nobody to stop them “

Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic on Thursday announced that two prison officers were among five new cases of the viral illness whose origin has so far eluded public health experts.

The minister said: “We will be launching a massive campaign at the prison intended to test every single person who works at the prison in Barbados over the next 48 hours inclusive of prisoners, prison wardens and civilian staff.”

Acknowledging the complexities associated with the prison, Prime Minister Mia Mottley noted that everyone at the prison is to be retested after five days to ascertain their health status.

But as ministers updated the country at a press conference at Ilaro Court, they did not indicate how the officers would quarantine as they await the results of the tests or detail an action plan to ensure the safety of staff, inmates and the general public.

When asked if his officers would be placed on quarantine pending the results of their COVID-19 tests, Superintendent of Prisons Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse replied: “I have not been so advised yet, so I can’t answer you.

“The prison is currently going through the processes to give good effect to the testing and follow through on the contact tracing.”

Barbados TODAY later learned that a meeting of the National Security Council was convened to ensure full security arrangements are in place at all times at HMP Dodds.

Moments after the meeting, Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams disclosed that crisis response plans long in place at the prison are now being activated. He would not elaborate.

He told Barbados TODAY: “The arrangements for the prison are naturally a matter of national security and cannot be casually discussed.

“Rest assured that measures are in place to ensure that the integrity of the prison is maintained in a manner that preserves the security of the facility and the well-being of inmates and staff while still allowing all necessary health protocols to be observed.”

Staff of the St. Philip prison has been extremely reluctant to share their feelings about the developments for fear of sanctions from their superiors, Barbados TODAY was told.

But Senator Franklyn, the lead industrial relations advisor to the Barbados Prison Officers Association, bluntly stated that for days, officers have been reluctant to come to work because of rumblings among staff about a potential outbreak of the dreaded virus.

The opposition lawmaker told Barbados TODAY: “Up to [Wednesday] night, prison officers stayed home because they didn’t want to be infected. It was already known and the fellas were staying away. As a matter of fact, one man manned a block with 50 prisoners.”

He said that it would be unusual for officers to be asked to return to work while the results of their tests are still pending, and added that such a decision would be doubly risky for the many workers there who are suffering from underlying health conditions that could make COVID-19 patients gravely ill.

Senator Franklyn declared: “I don’t blame them, because some of them have families, children and underlying conditions, and when the coronavirus first started, even the PM herself said that persons with underlying conditions shouldn’t attend work. Well, we have a whole host of people with underlying conditions in the prison.”
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)