Camp Street prison fire/jailbreak…Too early to determine collusion; inmates’ records being reconstructed- officials

Jul 14, 2017 News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....nstructed-officials/

Officials have dismissed “speculations” that Sunday’s orchestrated jailbreak and fire at Camp Street jail could have been avoided.

Six dangerous prisoners are on the run and sparking an intelligence-led manhunt focused in the city and the backlands of Demerara.

During a press conference yesterday at the offices of the Ministry of Public Security, Brickdam, it was made clear that even the best plans in place would have been severely challenged.

Police ranks who for several years now have ringed the perimeter of the Camp Street men’s facilities, as an extra layer following the Mash Day jailbreak of 2002, would have been focused on prisoners attempting to scale the walls and not so much on what was happening at the front gates- which is supposed to be controlled by prison officials.

Five prisoners, armed with two handguns, managed to breach the front gates, but not before a prison officer, Odinga Wickham, was shot five times.

Several other officers were injured in a coordinated attack as prisoners set at least four fires to wooden buildings in the compound. It was confusion all around.

This was according to Minister of Public, Khemraj Ramjattan, Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, and prison chief, Gladwin Samuels yesterday.

Ramjattan admitted that the situation was a testing one that involved putting out the fires, controlling the inmates, and shuttling them to the Lusignan prison.

The fact that records were burnt further compounded the situation.

Using other records, including warrants which were stored separately and saved, officials were able to eventually ascertain the prisoners who escaped. During the interim, there was uncertainty as to how many prisoners actually escaped.

The situation was worsened by the fact that the almost 1,000 inmates taken to Lusignan, were not cooperating, making a head count difficult.

As of yesterday, the officials said, they were able to determine that six persons, dangerous criminals- including one from Death Row- were at large.

According to Minister Ramjattan, several prisoners were moved from Lusignan to New Amsterdam and Timehri prisons. Some 90 were shuttled to New Amsterdam, Berbice, while 48 were taken to Timehri.

Early releases were granted to 57 while six magistrates visiting the Lusignan, East Coast Demerara facilities earlier this week allowed 26 persons on self bail. Another eight prisoners on remand managed to raise their bail money.

Prisoners shifted

It was disclosed that within the next few hours, about 500-plus prisoners who were being kept in temporary situation in an open area in the Lusignan jail compound, will be moved to another fenced area where a tarmac, toilet and other facilities are being constructed.

According to Ramjattan, it is the intention within the next few days, to move at least 250 prisoners back to Camp Street, where one of the concrete building is still virtually intact and some repairs, including zinc sheets replacements, are being made.

Another 100 prisoners will also soon be accommodated right at Camp Street at what is known as “The Cage”, making it a third of what the prisons had once held.

Government has said that Camp Street jail will not be rebuilt to what it was before—a wooden facility.

Ramjattan insisted that under the prison rules, he had the powers for early release and even “earlier release”.

According to the prison chief, they were able to retrieve about 97 percent of the warrants and other records, including some that had photographs of the inmates at Camp Street. From these they were able to reconstruct the profiles of prisoners.

However, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud also made it clear that the records are not totally lost as the police and the courts all have records which could be used to rebuild the database.

With regards to whether police outside lapsed, Persaud said the situation was fast paced, and it was understandably that the ranks were paying attention to ensure no prisoner breached the walls during the confusion over the fire.

According to the prison chief, it is too early to determine collusion between the inmates and prison officers, as only a police investigation will do so.

He explained that from indications, convicted Bartica and Lusignan massacre killer, Mark Royden Williams, got help from other prisoners to break him out from the cell of the condemned prisoners’ section where he was being held. From there, they quickly took control of the prison, overpowering the guards.

No weapons taken

Samuels said that there are no indications at this time that any weapons were taken from the prison’s armory. However, one weapon could not be accounted for from the Operations Room. It was made clear that investigators are unsure if the weapon is lost in the rubble as the building had collapsed.

The officials disclosed that there were adequate communications between prison officials, police and others as was evidenced from the quick response by fire and backup officials.

Yesterday, Samuels admitted that there are difficulties in conducting a search at the open yard at the Lusignan prison where the Camp Street inmates are being held.

Rather than provoking a situation, authorities will wait and in due time, conduct searches. There are indications, it was disclosed, that prisoners were burying improvised weapons.

However, the officials stressed, prisoners being moved are being subjected to checks.

With regards to new prisoners, while the courts are moving to accommodate bail for smaller offences as much as possible, the more serious accused persons will have to be accommodated right at Lusignan.

Staffers are being counseled with Ramjattan disclosing that he will be moving to Cabinet to discuss compensation for prison officers.

However, it is unlikely that the compensation will be above what it established- about a $1M- as the Government is tight on cash.

The officials praised the backup support of former policemen and others who assisted during the incident.

Within the next few hours, authorities are expected to complete works at the area at left to place prisoners in a more secured environment at Lusignan prison, ECD.