Trinidad prison officers uncover brisk trade
There is a big business behind bars in prisons where a hot seller is cigarettes at $600 a pack.
According to a senior prison official, business is booming with over 500 cellphones confiscated in just one month. Some 300 were destroyed yesterday alone.
On Wednesday, some 150 prison officers who conducted a sweep of the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seized a number of knives, shanks, and L-shaped metal objects which were hidden in cells.
The Special Prisons committee headed by Prof Ramesh Deosaran which was appointed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar visited the Maximum Security and Golden Grove prisons in Arouca yesterday where these items as well as contraband that was seized over the past month were laid out on a long table for viewing.
Over a hundred cellphones, dozens of boxes of cigarettes and loose cigarettes, marijuana, knives, razor blades, lighters and even mosquito sprays were on display.
The prison official told the Express some “unscrupulous” prison officers make a mint in smuggling illegal items into the jails for prisoners.
The officer said there is actually a price list for stuff on sale. A box of cigarettes costs $600 while a single cigarette costs $30.
A cellphone can be sold for as little as $100 to $600. A small piece of marijuana, less than one centimetre in size, goes for $20 a piece. Even a plate of food has a price.
Asked how the cellphones are smuggled into the prisons, the officer explained that small phones such as Alcatel and Samsung are wrapped in plastic, greased with Vaseline and inserted into the body cavity thereby passing through metal detectors.
Cellphones are “topped up” from outside as the calling card codes are texted to the prisoners or funds transfers are sent from phone to phone.
The officer said prisoners smuggle items from the YTEPP workshops where they are given the opportunity to learn a trade. All these items are also sold.
Prisoners, said the officer, use these metal objects to jam the electronic bars of the cell and attack prison officers.
“Everything has a price, as a matter of fact inmate even sell their food at times,” said the officer.
Asked whether there was any resistance from the prisoners when the raids of the cells were being conducted, the officer replied, “We try to be as professional as we can, we inform them what we are here to do, we had about 150 officers so with that amount there was no resistance, we allow them to stand and watch as we searched the cells.”
Questioned on what was being done to weed out the rogue officers who facilitate the illegal trading in the prisons, the officer said some eight officers were singled out and handed over to the police this year and some were suspended when drugs were found on them.
The officer said ridding the jails of illegal items is a challenge.
“We have them (officers/prisoners) pass through scanners yet they find a way to break and beat the system, it really is an uphill task but we remain relentless,” said the officer.
The officer said prisoners somehow even manage to get their hands on insect sprays which officers use in the prisons as there is a mosquito problem and they create fire bombs with the use of lighters.
According to the officer, on one occasion a prisoner used the spray to create a fire and in the midst of the smoke knocked a prison officer on his head.
The officer said the country was in dire need of a new prison and a total revamp of the criminal justice system.
The officer said further that there was need for new machinery such as body scanners and cellphone jammers.
The Port of Spain prison, noted the officer, was “very porous” as relatives of prisoners throw bags of marijuana and other items over the prison walls and then call them and direct them where to search.
“Sometimes at 4 a.m. we have officers searching and you will be amazed at how many packets (marijuana) we get,” said the officer.
This problem remains a challenge even with the implementation of CCTV cameras.
“When you have a prison in the middle of the city you are asking for trouble. Look at the trends across the world. You would not find a prison in the heart of a city,” said the officer.
The officer said there was a plan years ago to construct a prison in St Madeleine and this needs to be revisited.
The Golden Grove prison was designed to be a holding camp for Canadian officers in this country while Remand Yard was originally carded for a cinema, he said.
The officer pointed out that in foreign jurisdictions there are separate dormitories for prison officers where they leave their bags and are properly scanned before entering the prisons.
The overcrowding of the nation’s prisons, said the officer, was another pressing issues.
The officer said that rehabilitation measures should be implemented.
“When you charge someone for possession of a device and send them to prison, that may not be the best place for them, there must be a rehabilitation system, putting someone in jail does not solve a drug problem,” said the officer.
“There is need for improvement of the criminal justice system where cases can be heard faster, police should have more vehicles to take the inmates to the courts rather than take some at a time,” the officer added.
The officer said that there are high expectations that the committee would put measures in place to improve the prison system.
Apart from Deosaran who chairs the committee, other members of the committee are Commissioner of Prisons Martin Martinez, Inspector of Prisons Daniel Khan, National Security Minister Gary Griffith, Justice Minister Emmanuel George, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, attorney Wayne Sturge and general secretary of the Prisons Officers’ Association, Gerard Gordon.
Source-Trinidad Express
TCI Passports on hold
The Ministry of Border Control and Labour has advised that it is currently experiencing technical difficulties and is therefore unable to produce Turks and Caicos Islands Passports at this time.
The Ministry is working with the Government’s Central Information Technology Unit and is currently in communication with the providers of the software used for the processing of the passports. The authorities hope that the issues will be resolved in time for a resumption of production next week.
The Ministry apologises to the public for any inconvenience this may have caused and urges anyone who MUST travel at this time to contact the Registrar General on 946801-9 for further information.
Opposition Leader cries out for help RE:11 year old Juvenile
In an urgent plea to the public, Opposition Leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson asks for help with a juvenile in prison.
In the release to RTC News, Mrs. Robinson states:
‘Yesterday we were deeply disturbed and outraged at the fact that a child of 11 years has received a sentence requiring detention and has therefore been sent to Her Majesty’s Prison. The Opposition has been speaking to the plight of our juveniles and the fact that the system is failing them and are making life all the more difficult for them through the lack of proper housing, lack of education instruction and general Programs to assist them and their parents in their rehabilitation.
This 11year old child has joined older juveniles whom he ought not to have contact with but whilst the Prison may be doing its best, it is not the best experience for this child.
The sentence of an 11 year old ought to call this country to action. Whilst we appreciate that there is evidence of deviant behavior, this move signals a need for the people of these Islands to demand that an alternative sentence or arrangement be made for him and other juveniles.
We are further asking the people of these Islands to call on the Government to make the Facility to house the juveniles a priority.
The idea of a Facility has been tossed about for years and has been seen multiple experiences where residents do not wish to have the facility in their area. I am reminding us all that these are our children and it is up to us collectively as a people to determine whether we want to give them a fair chance in life so that they can become productive citizens or whether we wish to have them become greater nuisances to society.
The choice is not theirs entirely or their family’s but it is ours as well.
We need the Government to treat this issue with great priority and the Courts must become more innovative in its sentencing towards our children who are at risk and have run afoul of the Law.
An Appeal will be submitted today on this child’s behalf and we are calling on residents to rally around this family and be prepared to support a Petitioning of the Courts by writing letters and supporting other initiatives. If you wish to email your letter, please do so to juvenilesneedhelp@gmail.com.
These letters will be printed and delivered to the Court and the relevant authorities. Please speak specifically to the plight of the 11 year old child, those being housed now and the need for a Facility.
I am appealing to the Pastors and the Media to please help in this fight. Let us be our children’s voices.’
That was the full text of the PDM Leader Sharlene Cartwright Robinson on the 11 year old housed in a juvenile wing at Her Majesty Prison in Grand Turk.
MOHHS issues advisory to public on sale of OxyElite Pro
The Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has issued an advisory to merchants and the public to immediately discontinue the sale, distribution and use of the dietary supplement: OxyElite Pro or VERSA-1. This comes as the United States Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) advised that the products are linked to liver sickness and at least one death.
On October 11, 2013 an advisory fro the FDA linked OxyElite Pro or VERSA-1 to liver illnesses and at least one death, the product is sold as a weight loss and muscle building supplement. The US authorities said the product contains an ingredient, aegeline, for which the manufacturer has not provided adequate evidence of safety.
As of October 31, there were 56 cases of acute liver failure or acute hepatitis linked to OxyPro Elite, 43 of them in Hawaii. The FDA continues its investigation of acute hepatitis illnesses linked to products labeled OxyElite Pro.
NHIP & NIB merge collection forces
Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the way for the Minister of Health and Human Services Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith and the Minister of Finance Hon. C. Washington Missick to develop a process to merge the compliance and collection functions of NHIP and NIB into one entity.
This action is expected improve compliance and improve the efficiency of the collections process.
Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation awareness campaign now on
The Energy and Utilities Department of the Ministry of Government Support Services this week launched its Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation awareness campaign under the theme “Smart Choices Today for a Sustainable Energy Tomorrow-Be Energy Smart.
Coming at the end of CARICOM’s Energy Week celebrated November 10th to 16th, the campaign aims to sensitise and build awareness among residents, businesses and all stakeholders on the issues of sustainable energy, Utilities Commissioner Malike Cummings said.
The programme hopes to teach consumers simple, smart actions that will serve to reduce TCIs energy demand and eliminate waste.
Afghan President Delays Signing Deal with US
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ignored a recommendation by the country's grand assembly, or Loya Jirga, to immediately sign a new bilateral security agreement with the United States.
Mr. Karzai says Afghanistan needs more time to ensure the United States is committed to peace.
The Loya Jirga endorsed the bilateral security agreement with the United States Sunday and called for the president to sign it immediately.
Mr. Karzai repeated his previous position that he would wait until after the upcoming presidential election in April to sign the deal allowing a continued presence of some U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014.
But U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says it is critical that the security agreement is signed in short order so both countries can keep working together for a more secure and prosperous future for Afghanistan.
Kerry says he cannot imagine a more compelling affirmation of the Afghan people's commitment to a U.S. partnership than the Loya Jirga's endorsement.
U.S. officials have rejected a delay, saying they would not be able to form long-term plans on a troop presence without an agreement in place by the end of this year. U.S.-led international combat forces in Afghanistan are set to withdraw by the end of next year.
The draft agreement spells out terms under which international forces will remain in Afghanistan to assist the government in its war against Taliban insurgents.
The majority of Afghan tribal leaders supported the agreement, which would take effect January 1, 2015, and keep U.S. troops and civilian personnel in Afghanistan for at least another decade.
Iran Hails Deal with World Powers as Recognition of Nuclear 'Rights'
Iran's leaders have welcomed a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers, calling it a recognition of Iranian nuclear rights and the beginning of an end to international sanctions.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address Sunday that the interim deal reached in Geneva earlier in the day recognizes what Iran says is its "right" to enrich uranium.
Iran says its enrichment work is for peaceful purposes. But Israel and Western powers fear Iran could enrich its uranium to the high purity needed to develop nuclear weapons.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denied Iran's interpretation of the deal reached with Washington and five other world powers. He told reporters in Geneva the document "does not say Iran has a right to enrichment."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the deal, calling it an "historic mistake" and saying it marks the first time the international community has "formally consented" to Iran continuing enrichment.
The White House says President Barack Obama telephoned Mr. Netanyahu Sunday, telling the Israeli prime minister he wants the United States and Israel to start consultations immediately on efforts to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with Iran.
Mr. Obama told Mr. Netanyahu the U.S. remains firmly committed to Israel, which he said has good reason to be skeptical about Iran's intentions.
Israeli leaders see a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to their nation's existence because of Iran's frequent calls for Israel's demise.
The six-month agreement calls for Iran to neutralize its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent - a level that is a short step away from weapons-grade. But it it does not prohibit Iran from continuing enrichment below the five percent level.
It also calls for Iran not to make further advances in building a heavy water nuclear reactor in the city of Arak. Once operational, that facility could produce plutonium, another compound used to make nuclear weapons.
In return for limiting enrichment, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany agreed to temporarily lift some international sanctions that have weakened the Iranian economy.
The United States says Tehran will gain access to $4.2 billion in revenues from Iranian oil exports and $1.5 billion in proceeds from Iranian sales of precious metals, autos and petrochemicals.
Earlier, U.S. President Barack Obama said the Geneva agreement will place "substantial limitations" on Iran's enrichment and "cut off" what he called the nation's "most likely paths to a bomb." He said the deal is a "first step" toward negotiations aimed at fully addressing international concerns about the Iranian nuclear program.
Iranian leaders hailed the deal as the start of a process of ending years of sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and Western powers in retaliation for Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment.
Iranian state media quoted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying the agreement is a "success" attributed to "the grace of God and the prayers of the Iranian nation."
A senior U.S. official told Western news agencies that the Geneva agreement followed several months of secret bilateral talks between the United States and Iran. In comments published Sunday, the U.S. official said the talks were aimed at developing ideas to complement official negotiations involving Iran and the world powers.
Thousands of Pro-, Anti-Government Demonstrators Rally in Thailand Print Share:
Tens of thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators gathered for rival rallies in the Thai capital in what are becoming some of the largest demonstrations since the deadly street protests of 2010.
Up to 100,000 opponents of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gathered in sites across the city, calling for her resignation.
While across the city, between 40- and 50-thousand pro-government "red shirts" rallied in support of her administration.
Thailand has faced weeks of protests sparked by a blanket amnesty bill that would have allowed the prime minister's older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives overseas, to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption.
The bill would have also pardoned former prime minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has been indicted for murder for ordering a crackdown on protesters in 2010.
Former deputy prime minister and opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban has urged protesters to continue their demonstrations and called for civil servants to join in on them.
The opposition Democratic Party will also lead a a no-confidence debate in the lower house this week, despite being vastly outnumbered by Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party.
Thousands Rally in Ukraine for EU Integration
Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, to protest the government's decision not sign a landmark trade deal with the European Union.
Protesters waved Ukrainian and EU flags while chanting pro-Western slogans as they headed to the city's European Square.
Officially, between 20- and 50-thousand people are estimated to have turned out for the rally, which was organized by the country's opposition. Activists have put the number at above 100,000.
Thousands of riot police were deployed across the city with some clashes reported after demonstrators attempted to storm a government building.
Elsewhere in Kyiv, groups of pro-government demonstrators marched in support of the government's decision to halt the signing of the EU agreement.
Ukraine's Cabinet unexpectedly announced last week it was suspending preparations to sign a EU trade and cooperation agreement.
They announced instead that Ukraine would resume an "active dialogue" with Belarus and Kazakhstan, members of a Russian-led customs union, and other former Soviet republics with the goal of reviving trade and economic relations.
The country's parliament earlier refused to pass legislation that would free jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which was a key EU condition for signing the EU deal.