INMATES AT the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre (General Penitentiary) agreed yesterday to end a hunger strike they started Tuesday night to protest against the postponement of their annual family week activities.
Prisoners started shouting at guards and refused to eat after being told that they would not be allowed visits by their children on Thursday and Friday, which had been promised as part of the family week programme.
Prison administrators explained that they were not equipped to move inmates to a separate facility to see their children, who are not allowed into the prisons.
Tension eased last night, following the intervention of Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Kern Spencer, and Acting Commissioner of Corrections, June Jarrett.
PROTESTING
The prisoners said that they were protesting against the 'cancellation of the week-long family-oriented activities' at the institution. The so-called 'Family Fun Days' have been an annual event since the year 2000, and is an event which falls under the Ministry's rehabilitation programmes.
"We told them it was not a cancellation, but a postponement of the activities because of security concerns," said Senator Spencer.
"On Monday and Tuesday, adults were allowed inside, but yesterday and today should have included the children, and the regulations state that no one under the age of 17 should be allowed inside a maximum security facility," Senator Spencer explained.
Yesterday, a two-hour meeting was held between Mrs. Jarrett, Superintendent Gillette Ramsay, who is in charge of the General Penitentiary, Eileen Stephens, deputy commissioner (custodial services), the Parliamentary Secretary and over 300 inmates to explain the reasons behind the postponement of the family-oriented activities for the rest of the week.
