By Erica James-King, Senior Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE GLEANER has learnt that the Correctional Services Department is recalling warders who are on vacation leave.
Sources told The Gleaner that Correctional Services bosses had an emergency meeting on Friday, and decided to summon warders who are on vacation leave. Some warders who have been recalled told The Gleaner they had received letters asking them to report for duty.
The letters, which were hand-delivered to them on the weekend, also summoned them to a meeting today with Earl Fearon, the acting Commissioner of Corrections. The warders say they will hear at that meeting, why they are being called back from vacation leave.
The decision to recall them is fuelling speculation that Govern-ment's embarrassment over recent jailbreaks and escapes from prison is the major reason. Some warders feel their leave has been shortened because the recent escapes have come when the Correctional Service is reeling from an acute staff shortage. There are fewer than 1,000 warders in the prisons, although the islandwide complement should be more than 2,500.
About 30 warders could be affected by the recall.
Efforts to get a comment on the matter from the Correctional Services have proven futile. However, the University and Allied Workers' Union (UAWU), which represents most of the warders, has confirmed the recall. Lambert Brown, the union's first vice-president, says that ever since 800 warders were interdicted in February 2000, the remaining ones have been "placed under undue stress, with many not getting a chance to take their vacation leave.
According to the UAWU, "The fundamental problem of the interdiction of the warders remains unresolved owing to Cabinet's big ego, while the security of the nation remains at great risk."
Since January, four inmates have escaped from prisons across the country. The latest prison-break occurred on Saturday when Brenton Spence, 36, known also as Rupert Hamilton and Anthony Smith of Ricketts River, Frome, Westmoreland, escaped from the Tamarind Farm Correctional Centre, near to Spanish Town. Recently there was an escape bid at the same prison.
Twenty-three persons have fled police lock-ups since the start of the year. Seventeen of them escaped last week from the Spanish Town police station lock-up. So far, only four have been recaptured.
The jailbreak revived concerns about the underutilisation of the 1,030-capacity Horizon Remand Centre on Spanish Town Road, St. Andrew, which was officially opened in October last year.
The centre needs 270 warders to operate it when it is fully occupied, but is now reported to have only 65 warders (mostly new recruits) and very few prisoners on remand.
Recent talks involving the unions representing the warders, the Correctional Services and the Ministry of National Security have failed to arrive at an agreement on the recall of the interdicted warders . Another meeting is likely to take place this week.
