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  • 2 months ago
President of the Prisons Officers' Association, Gerard Gordon, says his members have always been willing to meet, open to talks, and consistent in writing letters yet government after government seems indifferent. He laments the ongoing critical deterioration and lack of resources at the nation's penal institutions, warning that the facilities have reached a breaking point.

Nicole M Romany tells us more.
Transcript
00:00As the Prisons Officers Association prepares for salary negotiations starting at 10% promised by the government,
00:08Association President Gerard Gordon warns that prisons have long been neglected.
00:13He tells us, over the last couple decades, prisons have generally been ignored until there is a crisis,
00:20citing situations like the state of emergency.
00:23Gordon adds that the focus and resources needed are rarely provided.
00:28And now the system faces a mass excellence of officers.
00:32He says many just waiting until the age of 50 to retire.
00:37We are the ones who continue to advocate and talk out and write, engage, always willing to meet, to share.
00:47But it is not, I never said that they don't know.
00:51I am saying that they don't care.
00:55I mean, it doesn't sound a thing, but that is the basic fact that we represent a part of the public service
01:08that really and truly they do not want to see us.
01:13He says the Association remains frustrated that despite years of sacrifice and officers lost on the job,
01:21basic needs continue to be neglected.
01:24The Association head says while they recently received five vehicles,
01:28including a water truck and a garbage compactor,
01:31critical resources like proper ambulances, tools, uniforms and lighting are still lacking at their operational facilities.
01:39If you were to take a pass in the night and you were to see what's going on around the maximum security prison,
01:48the place is black, it's dark.
01:51Imagine, you, you, a friend of mine called me and telling me,
01:54he said, but Gordon, all your man, no light around the prison or poor lighting,
02:00you can't even see.
02:03And that, those are just basic things.
02:05Meanwhile, General Secretary Lester Logie sought to highlight the desperate situation
02:12officers and inmates are facing at the Carrera Island prison.
02:16I would like the public to know the officers at Carrera.
02:21The badge has been dung for the past two months and we have to be using kegs
02:26filled at heart's cut.
02:30A person can't be running with that type of water.
02:35That, that is, that is total madness.
02:38And the officers at MSP, I mean, just yesterday officers said the only improvement you see
02:43is that they bring a chain and a padlock to padlock riot gates in 2025.
02:50When contacted via phone, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander gave the assurance
02:56to meet with the association to discuss and remedy the existing problems.
03:01The minister said this level of neglect took place under the former administration,
03:07but his government has promised to fix it, and fix it, it will.
03:11Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
03:20You're right.
03:30Don't you?
03:31Don't you bring it.
03:32Don't you bring it.
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