Prison Commissioner William Alexander says there was an increase in absenteeism at the nation’s prisons yesterday, in wake of a voice note circulating on social media that was alleged to have called for prison officers to take industrial action.
The social media threat came in the wake of the murder last Thursday of prison officer Glenford Gardner in Bagatelle in Diego Martin. Gardner was assigned to the Carrera Island Prison and was killed two weeks after another officer, Richard Sandy, was killed by an ex-convict at a Gasparillo bar.
But on Sunday evening, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, in a press release which highlighted the voice note was purported to have come from Prison Officers’ Association president Ceron Richards, appealed to prison officers to ignore any attempt by anyone to prevent them from lawfully carrying out their duties. Dillon added in the release that advice from the Office of the Attorney General on whether any legal action could be taken against those officers who engage in the industrial action alluded to in the voice note.
Yesterday, Alexander confirmed the nation’s prisons had been hit by the action as early as Sunday.
“There was some and it started from yesterday (Sunday), some absenteeism and we are grateful to the dedicated officers who are performing their duties notwithstanding the death of officer Gardener. He was a quiet man,” Alexander said.
Alexander said officers were being killed and it was distracting from the issues the service faced. He said he was not interested in taking disciplinary action against Richards, but admitted Richards should stand up and admit he sent the voice note.
“Let him be a man. We’re all grieving, we are making the situation worse by not showing up for duty. You putting hardship on the other officers and the inmates. My attention is to keep the prison steady and stable and my major focus and I will not be sidetracked in talk. There is always room for discussion,” he said.
He said citizens were living in a violent society and we should be emphasising on bringing the murderers before the courts and not turning the current situation into a political football.
Contacted on the matter yesterday, however, Richards said the National Security Minister seemed more concerned about a voice note than the problems plaguing the Prison Service.
“The minister is doing a lot of talking rather than meeting and treating with the Prison Service. That is the only time I heard from him and his only concern is to ask me about a voice note. Thank God for a voice note, if it wasn’t then I wouldn’t hear anything,” Richards said.
He said on many occasions the association, along with the Fire Service Association, had attempted to meet Dillon on issues affecting their members.
“Over a year we haven’t met with the minister and now he all of a sudden has gotten active. We thought that energy would be deployed then. Their (prison officers) families are afraid for them, all are running scared.”
He said the officers were being attacked and facing a lack of support from the state, noting there has been no word on whether their calls for legislation to protect prisons officers from attacks would be looked at.
On whether he organised the sick-out, given that last week he had suggested such action could occur, Richards said: “I was predicting on the basis of how they feel that is all. I just stating my concern and that the powers that be, I just want to re-iterate that we (association) are not in support of any industrial action and we are responsible. We demonstrated that. That is how they feel at this time.”
He said government had previously passed legislation years ago when kidnappings were rampant across the country.
“They did everything in the past to arrest it so it down to zero. Where is the same approach for prison officers?” he asked.
“Prison officers are looking at that and feeling worthless. That is the bigger issue and putting focus on it. We are not in support of industrial action and I don’t know what accusations the minister is making. The lack of action, government intervention and parliamentary response is not the issue. Ceron Richards is ...”