Inmate Roy Jacobs, appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Camp Street prison unrest once again yesterday, where he spoke on the “terrible” conditions of the prison.
Jacobs, who is located in the Woods Division, spoke of the ill-treatment of prisoners by officers, and when a question was raised by Commissioner Dale Erskine about whether the prisoners are compliant, he offered that inmates reciprocate the treatment they receive.
He attributed this –what he referred to as “unprofessional behaviour” —to the fact that many prison officers are young recruits who are inexperienced as the more senior officers are often sent off to other locations. He said the prison officials tend to come to work with the weight of their personal problems and take out their domestic issues on the inmates.
His observation is that the prison tends to run much more smoothly when prisoners are attended to and their issues are addressed.
When it comes to healthcare, Jacobs shared that there are issues with doctors and medics being available when they are needed, relating that an inmate had died in 2012 after calling for medical attention and not receiving such until hours later.
On the point of the availability of staff, he opined that not enough officers are available at the prison, an issue that in his estimation compromises security as they sometimes, having left to attend to another part of the facility, are not around to handle situations when they spiral out of control.
Overcrowding in the prisons was also highlighted. The prisoner described the conditions as being terrible, and mentioned the presence of rats and cockroaches in the Woods Division in which he is a resident.
The effects of the overcrowding are that in excess of twenty persons are made to use one toilet facility, and each twin-sized mattress is shared by two inmates, who sleep head to tail. Jacobs perceives the problem to be a result of the many persons who are incarcerated for petty crimes.
The inmate was also questioned on his knowledge of the rules of the prison and expectations during his incarceration but stated that he was never briefed on such.
Fire drills, which Jacobs and other inmates have testified were conducted in the days leading up to the March 3rd, unrest, were done among the prison officers and did not involve the inmates. He also testified to never having seen any instructions pertaining to conduct during fire drills posted in the dorm of the Woods Division or the Capital A Division.
While the inmates have access to television, which is reportedly controlled by the orderlies, Jacobs related that newspapers, which have to be bought by the families of inmates and brought to the prison, are restricted.
He stated that two newspapers are allowed: The Guyana Times and The Guyana Chronicle. Although he made no mention of this publication, he stated that he was made aware of Kaieteur News being banned from the prison, this ban having been in place even before his incarceration.
Jacobs, who was convicted for the murder of Robb Street granny Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris in November 2015, and is currently serving an 81-year sentence, has been an inmate at the Camp Street prison for five years, four of which were spent in the Capital A dorm.
According to the Terms of Reference for the inquiry, the Commission has been constituted to enquire into all the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 17 prisoners and to make recommendations on any action that should be taken to avoid a recurrence. It will also investigate, examine and report on the causes, circumstances and conditions that led to the fatal disturbances and also determine whether the conduct of the staff of the Guyana Prison Service in any way contributed to the prisoner deaths.
The CoI is set to continue today.
