Frustrated Prison Staff Stay Home Following Security Incidents

A prison van gun attack, an injured officer, rampant overcrowding, growing gang concerns, infrastructural issues and security concerns have shifted the focus back to the state of His Majesty Prison in the British Virgin Islands.

The just over seventy prison staff, who do not receive any hazard pay, are frustrated that their concerns continue to be dismissed by the government.

Some staff have chosen to stay home in the aftermath of three hooded men fleeing the vicinity of the prison, leaving a bag of weapons on September 21, and the brazen shooting incident on October 9, where a prison van carrying inmates to court was shot at around 9:30 a.m. resulting in an officer being injured.

“Things have gone from bad to worse. It’s a boiling pot waiting to explode right now. Everyone is shifting the responsibility” shared a source.

Originally designed to accommodate 60 inmates, a recent investigation conducted by jahphixtelevision.com found that the prison in Balsam Ghut now houses 132 inmates, including six women.

Furthermore, prison officers are still reliant on manual keys to access prison cells, and the fire emergency alarm buttons are nonfunctional due to the absence of electrical installations.

Additionally, there is no available plumbing blueprint for the prison, which is currently plagued by water leaks, compelling the prison authorities to procure water at a cost of up to $12,000.

“Prisoner officers have to walk around and look for leaks,” the source added. “ We have an ongoing water situation here. There is no water.”

The penitentiary officially opened in 1997 as a young offenders institute, juvenile detention centre, remand centre and immigration removal centre.

The overcrowding in the facility has rendered it infeasible to transfer inmates from one block to another in the event of fights, including those related to gang conflicts.

“There is no space. So prisoners cannot be moved from one block to another,” the source stressed.

In October 2022, an independent Prison Security Review was conducted by the Superintendent of His Majesty’s Prison in Anguilla and two former Chief Inspectors of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).

Their review, which was ordered by the National Security Council, yielded more than 50 recommendations, addressing matters such as infrastructure repairs, enhanced prison operations, and the bolstering of staff morale.

Governor John Rankin, who jointly oversees the prison with the territory’s Minister of Health & Social Development, announced last year that a Prison Security Review Implementation Committee was established to implement the recommendations.

Urgent repairs were undertaken by the Health and Social Development department, and a collaborative effort involved three prison officers from the United Kingdom working alongside the local prison authority to update operational procedures, and new equipment, including mattresses, prisoner uniforms, handcuffs, and other essential items, were supplied to the prison.

The ongoing challenges in the territory’s prison system have persisted for an extended period characterised by an escalating prison population due to an increase in individuals on remand awaiting court proceedings and longer sentences being served by offenders convicted of crimes such as murder and drug-related offences.

“Action needs to be taken. All relevant authorities are aware of the issues in the prison,” the source added.