THE JAMAICA Constabulary Force's Services Branch says it will be taking steps immediately to improve the deplorable conditions at the Remand Centre, South Camp Road Rehabilitation Centre, in Kingston.
"It is a situation that we have been working on," said Senior Supt. Keith Gardener of the Services Branch, which has responsibility for the centre.
He promised yesterday that the cockroach-infested jail cells at the remand centre will be sprayed "within 48 hours" and said there were plans to construct two toilets and two bathrooms.
Officials also hoped to expand the cramped facilities at the remand centre, which has a single bathroom for the 93 inmates there and no "sleep over" rooms for police personnel who have to work there.
His assurance came two days after initial plans to spray the cockroach-infested cells were cancelled, so as not to deprive inmates of their weekly visitors. Staff and inmates also complained over the deplorable and unhealthy conditions at the remand centre.
Staff had complained on the weekend that the stagnant and faeces-filled water, the garbage pile-up and an overpowering stench, had stressed some of their colleagues to the point of smoking, while prisoners were complaining of developing rashes from living in dank, cramped and garbage-filled cells.
The staff also said that the conditions were behind recent attempts by prisoners to escape.
SSP Gardner said that a comprehensive report on the state of the remand centre, as well as recommendations for improvement were forwarded about a week ago to the National Security Ministry, after police officials toured the remand centre.
He said persons from the National Security ministry had also visited the facility recently.
POSITIVE CHANGE
"Hopefully, before long, we will start seeing some positive changes," he said.
The first positive change came yesterday morning.
A truck from the National Waste Management Authority (NWMA) finally collected garbage and plastic bags containing human faeces which, staff said, had been held in a garbage skip since last Monday.
The stench and flies surrounding the skip, located at the front of the facility, had been a source of misery for the 93 prisoners housed there and the staff, including police officers, who had been transferred there last Monday.
The staff complained about having to walk in faeces to go to feed the prisoners and to take them to use the sole shower and toilet. They added that they were often without soap and disinfectant needed to clean themselves.
