The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ILLEGAL drugs, cell phones and other contraband confiscated by officials at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services were displayed for the media at the facility yesterday.

The contraband was confiscated between September 28, 2021 and Sunday.

About 174 cell phones, a pound of dope, cell phone chargers, headphones and an assortment of devices were displayed.

Acting Commissioner of Corrections Doan Cleare said a unit, which was disbanded in 2017/2018 and reinstituted upon his return to the facility last September, confiscated the contraband.

He said more items, which were not displayed, were confiscated.

“Some things are used by police (for) further investigations like some cell phones because some phones were linked to murders and those phones were turned over to police. Some of the drugs (are) before the courts now,” he said of the contraband, which was not on display.

He said most of the contraband is found in medium security and also other areas of the compound.

He said some people are now resorting to throwing contraband over the facility’s exterior walls for inmates.

He said last week, a car sped past the facility and someone from inside the car threw a bag of marijuana onto the compound.

Asked if he has seen a decrease in contraband being smuggled into the compound, he said: “When we arrived, a joint of marijuana in prison was for about $5. Since the unit has been formed a joint now is $20. So that tells you right there - supply and demand.”

Still, he said, more assistance is needed.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe noted the commissioner has already sent requests for CCTV cameras for the perimeter and added that last week there was a meeting with a presentation for AI technology.

The contraband display came after the official handover and commissioning ceremony of a security screening system comprised of the L3 body view pro vision screener and the Astrophysics baggage screener which were donated by the United States Embassy.

At the ceremony, Mr Munroe said the Davis administration is committed to upgrading the correctional facility.

“We’re also planning to very shortly see on these compounds a purpose built, high-medium security prison that will serve to relieve Commissioner Cleare of some of the headache of contraband,” Mr Munroe said.

He said the cells will be prefabricated from a company in the United States. “They’ve already presented to the ministry. The ministry and the government have already sent a team of public officers over to inspect the production line of that company and inspect two prisons actually built and delivered by that company.”

The minister told reporters the approximate cost for that project will be in the region of $35-40m.

He said the proposal has to be taken to Cabinet for approval.