| Board of inquiry to be set up to look into NOC issues … following fires set by inmates at the holding facility |  |  |  |
| Written by Leroy Smith |
| Friday, 24 August 2012 23:11 |
MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, yesterday announced that there will be a board of inquiry set up to investigate the issues at the New Opportunity Corps to get to the bottom of  Minister Anthony, PS King and Youth Director Ramdatt with security and NOC staff examine the burnt female dorm. (Photo by Leroy Smith) Dr. Anthony said that the inquiry board will very likely comprise persons from various ministries who have the skills and experience to deal with institutions such as the New Opportunity Corps. Yesterday, a team from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, headed by Minister Anthony and Permanent Secretary Alfred King paid a visit to the facility. The team also included the Assistant Director of Youth Devanand Ramdatt. The minister said that the ministry will be commencing work for the setting up of the inquiry board as early as Monday While making it clear that the he and his team that visited yesterday will stay clear of the work of the body and not pre-empt its findings, the minister was very straightforward in explaining to the media that those found to be culpable in any way will be dealt with in accordance with the law. He said that where students are found to be guilty of any offence or illegal act they will face the courts. The minister and his team’s visit was prompted after several students of the correctional facility broke out of their dormitories and found their way on the road, lingering in the compound on Wednesday evening. While some of the students were recaptured by the police and some residents from the area, there were those who returned to the facility of their own free will. It was just hours after their arrival that the students set fires to two separate sections of the facility, completely damaging a garment construction building with all its machinery as well as the double flat female dorm, with the entire upper flat being destroyed. The lower flat of the building was saved because of the clay bricks used in its construction. The burning of the facility’s buildings was preceded by fighting among the inmates and later a standoff between the staff and inmates. However that situation was quickly brought under control as the police in the area and the fire service responded quickly to a report of unrest at the facility, and several inmates were arrested and the fire was put out. Minister Anthony told the media that while the investigation and the cause of the upsurge are of grave concern to his ministry, the primary focus at the moment is to ensure that there is readily available accommodation for the 19 students who have been displaced by the fire at the dorm. He said they have already identified two buildings on site that will be occupied by the girls and this will just need a few beds for the interim. Reports have surfaced that the there was an intent by some inmates to carry out the offensive and the police were called in, while the administrators searched the compound and buildings to see if there was any evidence that the children were in possession of materials or other instruments that could be used to cause trouble. Following the fires, the police responded with eight detectives who questioned several members of staff as well as inmates of the facility, from whom vital information was received. The information gathered led to the arrest of inmates who were fingered as some of the persons who were involved in the setting of the fires. Later yesterday afternoon several female students were taken into custody for roles they allegedly played in the unrest. The move on Thursday night caught the staff by surprise as they really thought that following the return of the children and all of them being accounted for, that the situation was under control. What was even more surprising to the staff was the fact that the fire had started at the female dormitory. However despite the visit by the minister and the team, which lasted the entire day yesterday, the children were still somewhat reluctant to be open as they usually are. It was with interaction with some of them that bits and pieces of what really transpired began to unfold. It seems as if a three-day riot was planned. The police indicated that they will be maintaining a presence at the facility until things return to normalcy. By yesterday afternoon the staff members were distributing brand new towels, tooth brushes and other personal items to the girls who were displaced by the fire. Yesterday too, the Permanent Secretary told the children during a brief sectional interaction, that the resources at the facility are there to ensure their comfort and that destroying assets is only a disservice to themselves. He urged them to cooperate with the board of inquiry so that the ministry can be aware of the issues that bother them; and he pledged that the ministry will address these so as to ensure that what happened over the past few days does not happen again. During their interaction with the minister and his team the workers of the New Opportunity Corps said that one of the bugbears they face at the facility is their inability to administer corporal punishment. Last year the constitution of the New Opportunity Corps was revised and amended, wiping out corporal punishment as one of the means to discipline inmates. The workers are calling for this to be revisited. |
