(Trinidad Guardian) Prisoner Dillon Clarke, who escaped from the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca yesterday while out on an agricultural project, remains on the run.
Up to press time, Guardian Media understands that teams from the T&T Prisons Service and the Police Service were still conducting searches throughout the area.
Several of the searches took place in and around Arouca, Trincity, Oropune Gardens, Piarco and Maloney.
Ordinary Prisoner, Dillon Clarke, 34, who is attached to the agricultural out-gang, escaped legal custody at about 7.50 am on Thursday. The project was taking place in close proximity to the prison grounds.
An alarm was immediately raised and officers assigned to the Emergency Response Unit responded. The Arouca Police was also contacted and a search commenced for Clarke in all the surrounding areas.
Clarke is five feet eight inches in height, of a brown complexion and slim built. He has a long scar on his left forearm. His last known address is Mt. Zion Road, Maturita Village, Arima.
Clarke was sentenced in December 2018 to 24-months imprisonment for ‘Malicious Damage’ and was expected to be released from prison in April next year.
Speaking with the Guardian Media, Commissioner of Prisons, Gerard Wilson reassured the public that prisoners who are placed on the out-gang agricultural projects are the ones who have already served the majority of their sentencing.
He also added that they are interviewed and assessed before enrollment in such programmes.
Wilson, however, made it clear that any escapee should be of concern to members of the public and added that everyone should be on the lookout and cautious, “The risk is less with the prisoners who have served most of their sentencing time that’s why we have them out there but we don’t know the mental state still. Any person who is serving a sentence and escape people should be worried.”
Asked whether or not this escape will affect the agricultural project in any way including a suspension, Wilson said “No” and added: “We have to continue to plant food crops to save taxpayers the cost and we will continue to assess inmates.”
Asked if security and supervision of the out-gang prisoners will be increased/heightened, Wilson replied: “We don’t have enough staff to supervise each inmate on out gangs.”
Back in May, eight prisoners escaped from the remand section of the Golden Grove prison. All were apprehended.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of escapee Dillon Clarke is encouraged to contact the police at 999, 555, 911, 800-TIPS or any police station, text/WhatsApp 482-GARY (4279) or contact the Prison Service at 623 7070.