Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterAS THEIR painstaking wait breaks through its fifth anniversary this year, close to 70 prison warders who have been on interdiction since 2000 are now losing patience for a review process that had promised them timely justice.
The warders, who were among about 800 who staged a sickout to protest against the government's decision to reappoint then commissioner of corrections, Lt. Colonel John Prescod, as the head of the Correctional Services Department in 2000, are now seething at the wait.
The delayed justice, say the warders who requested not to be identified for this story, has been like an axe hanging over their heads.
Many now feel that the officials in charge of getting the matter disposed of as quickly as possible have been dragging their feet in a bid to force them to retire in the public interest.
"I believe they are trying to frustrate us into retiring, but we are not giving in," said one of the interdicted warders in an interview on Thursday.
Several others who spoke with this reporter indicated similar sentiments and lamented the way in which the progress report on their cases is being treated.
"Nobody tells us anything. Whenever we call them (officials), all they can tell us is that they are working on it."
CONFIRMATION
After a difficult selection of attorney-at-law Clinton Davis to independently review the cases last year, his official appointment took several months and it was not until yesterday that Major Richard Reese, head of the Correctional Services Department, confirmed it.
"Yes, Mr. Davis has been officially appointed. It was sometime ago but I cannot tell you when right now," Major Reese. told The Gleaner. When asked how soon the reviews would start, Major Reese could not say.
Lambert Brown, first vice-president of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) which represents the warders, could only promise that the review process would be starting "soon".
He, however, explained that before that process starts, there will have to be another agreement among the stakeholders on the order of the review of the individual cases.
In August, more than half of the 70 prison warders formally rejected reasons given by the Department of Correctional Services to retire them in the public interest.
They were also promised by Major Reese that they would soon have their cases reviewed by Mr. Davis. A number of them have since opted to be retired in the public interest.
