A group of Prison Officers, called “HMP United”, have expressed concern about their safety not only inside but outside the prison as well. Accompanied by the Superintendent of Prison, Mr Conrad Gumbs, the placard-bearing officers converged on the grounds of the Governor’s Office on Thursday, February 27, to complain in person, but were unable to do so as a group.
Instead, Mr Gumbs alone was summoned to meet with the Acting Governor, Mr Stanley Reid, along with Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development, Dr Bonnie Richardson Lake, and Commissioner of Police, Rudolph Proctor. Shortly afterwards Mr Gumbs returned to his colleagues and instructed them to disperse and return to HM Prison.
Asked to comment on the matter, Mr Reid told The Anguillian: “You would be aware that the Superintendent of Prison came in and went back out. I would have indicated to him at that point in time that I would not be meeting with him under those circumstances, but I would be happy to meet with him the following day in circumstances that were more agreeable. He came back down the following day and we met. I had not been advised about the action that the Prison Officers were taking. The expectation was that the officers would not be at Government House bearing placards and so forth.”
Mr Reid said it was made clear to the Superintendent on Thursday when he met with him – and again on Friday, when he returned with a couple officers – that the action taken by the Prison Officers was not necessary to bring their complaints to the attention of the authorities. “I think everybody within the authorities is supportive of the Prison Officers, and the work they do, and would do whatever is possible to support them in their work,” he stated.
He added that a number of suggestions were put forward by Mr Gumbs, and the officers who accompanied him, and that they would be considered, but that some of them were already being dealt with.
The Chief Minister, whose Ministry has responsibility for the administration of the prison, while the Governor is responsible for operations, commented that the action of the Prison Officers conveyed the impression that they and the Administration were in conflict. He said that in fact their complaints had to do with persons in the community.
The Prison Officers claimed that they were not demonstrating against the authorities but wanted their complaints to be heard, indicating that they were of the view that previous complaints for assistance were not addressed. They charged that members of the public were making threats on the telephone to them, and in some cases officers were stalked and chased.
The officers pointed to cases in some Caribbean islands where prison personnel lost their lives. Accordingly, they were of the view that there was a need for them to be concerned about their safety in Anguilla.
Just about two weeks ago, prison officials displayed a large quantity of weapons, cellular phones, illegal substances and various other forbidden items thrown over the fence by members of the public, to inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison. In a few cases, some of the items were covertly taken to the inmates by persons visiting them in the prison. A number of the items, such as crudely made weapons using tooth brushes and other objects done by the inmates, were found in the cells.
