(Jamaica Gleaner) Senior national security operatives are probing a major security breach at one of Jamaica’s maximum-security prisons that resulted in hardened criminals hosting a marijuana-laced and liquor-filled Christmas party on its compound.
The investigation was sparked by the discovery of photographs of the prison party that were sent to a photolab to be processed. A highly placed source inside the prison system told The Sunday Gleaner that at least one correctional officer had taken the pictures of the prisoners puffing weed and throwing back all kinds of libation to the pounding sound of the latest music.
“A breach of this nature cannot be allowed to happen again. The Ministry of National Security is aware of the situation and is expected to commence an investigation.
“They were drinking Alozade, Hennessy, rum, rum cream – all expensive high-end stuff. There is no evidence to show that officers were drinking, but one of them took the pictures,” he said.
According to the informant, the implicated correctional officer has not denied taking the pictures of the partying prisoners.
“He said the bottles were filled with water and that weed was a regular occurrence seen since joining the system.”
Steps are being taken to interdict the officer.
Contacted for comment, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergast, head of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and commissioner of corrections, confirmed the security breach which occurred on or around December 27, 2011.
“It is a very serious breach and it is something that I am obviously taking very seriously. We have sent off a request to the Ministry of National Security for their inspectorate to do a formal investigation into the matter,” the prison boss said.
He continued: “I got my hands on about 121 photographs from a photo lab. These photographs were handed in to be developed by a correctional officer.”
The prison boss, who still seemed stumped by what he saw in the pictures he received during the first week of 2012, said what was shown were inmates having a normal Christmas-time party with additional food etc.
Very expensive alcohol
“But what was present in the photographs appeared to be alcohol of assorted kinds. I won’t go into the brands but some were very expensive alcohol. Now, alcohol is contraband inside our institutions. What was (also) visible were inmates using what appeared to be cellphones and what appeared to be ganja spliffs. They were also dressed in very expensive clothing, designer track shoes, designer clothes,” he added.
The only element apparently missing from the merrymaking at the maximum
