‘No unfair treatment, unsanitary state at Dodds’
Article by January 16, 2021
The top brass of the prison service and their boss, the home affairs minister, have flatly denied allegations of unsanitary conditions at HMP Dodds or unfair treatment of inmates.
Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams, Superintendent of Prisons Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse and acting Assistant Superintendent Major Cedric Proverbs all dismissed the “rumours” during a press conference at the prison Friday afternoon.
Since an outbreak of COVID-19 was confirmed at the start of the year, several social media posts have surfaced with prison officers and inmates alike complaining about conditions at the prison.
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Dr Carl Ward, public health liaison officer, assuring Barbadians yesterday that the worst had passed at Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds after the recent COVID-19 outbreak among staff and inmates. (Picture by Lennox Devonish.) Social Share
Despite inmates and staff at Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds continuing to test positive for the COVID-19 virus, a health official is reporting that the situation there is stabilising.
In addition, inmates whose time of imprisonment has ended should soon be set free.
Dr Carl Ward, who is working on the coronavirus outbreak at the prison as public health liaison officer, said yesterday that the worst had passed.
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Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds.
Superintendent of Prisons Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse disclosed yesterday that some of them had submitted sick certificates.
However, he said 70 officers, including himself, had returned to the job.
Nurse was giving an update during yesterday’s press conference on the situation since COVID-19 struck there two weeks ago, resulting in 240 male inmates and 72 staff testing positive for the virus.
The prison, which has an inmate population of 790, was being managed by a combination of forces, including the Barbados Defence Force and the police.
“A significant number of us tested negative twice and were eventually released. The vast majority of those persons have joined the working parties that we have here at the prison,” Nurse told the media.
Prison chief to probe reports of suicide attempt
Article by January 13, 2021
Prison authorities will be launching an investigation into the behaviour of a prison officer who is currently in quarantine at a south coast hotel awaiting his COVID-19 test results.
Reports reaching
Barbados TODAY claimed that the officer had attempted to take his own life but this was refuted by an inside source at the property.
The source said the prison officer went on to his balcony and loudly expressed his frustration at the length of time he was being kept in quarantine.
“He said he felt like he was going out of his mind. Yes, he was being loud and boisterous about what we are going through, but he never attempted to jump. Some guests saw him and called the police,” said a fellow prison officer who is also in quarantine.