The Tribune

OFFICIALS from the Prison Officers Association are calling on the government to step in and rectify the growing amount of faeces that has accumulated on the ground in the maximum security section of Her Majesty’s Prison.

According to POA president, Gregory Archer, the faecal matter has reached almost ankle height, causing great concern for the health of inmates and staff at the facility.

“Officers are calling the Association office, thinking about refusing to work because of the conditions. The Association supports them. We will be meeting with all staff on the issue,” Mr Archer said.

Along with his vice president Scott Williams and secretary general Darnell McKenzie, Mr Archer said they have been to the Ministry of Health to raise the matter, only to be given the runaround.

According to Mr Williams, they were given a tentative meeting date of March 28th – a clear sign to him that the Ministry of Health did not take their matter “seriously”.

“Obviously this is not an important matter to them. Otherwise they would have met with us. We have tried to have this matter addressed within the prison but it’s been three weeks now,” he said.

It is understood that Water and Sewerage personnel had been to the prison on Monday to try to address the problem, the results of bad plumbing. However their efforts, said Mr Archer, have made “little difference”.

“The faeces is almost up to your ankle,” Mr Archer said. “That along with the overcrowding in maximum security makes working in there unbearable. And it appears as if the (medical staff) at the prison are not concerned,” he added.

“The powers that be need to address this as soon as possible,” said Mr Archer who warned that continued avoidance of the issue would eventually have negative affects on the prison inmate population.

Calls to the Ministry of Health and Her Majesty’s Prison were not returned up to press time last night.