Warders spoil prison escape plan

Close to 200 inmates at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, popularly known as GP, had plans of escaping from the facility.

Ricky Smith*, an inmate, told THE STAR that he was among the batch.

"The warder bwoy dem mess up di plan and go inform. A whole heap a top man, especially the one dem who a serve life sentence like myself did a plan to cut cuz no man no wa lock up like cage bird everyday," he said.

Prison authorities discovered two large holes at the prison which they believe were being dug by prisoners planning an escape.

According to Smith, who was convicted of a double murder seven years ago, some of the men had plans of hiding out in Jamaica, but he and others were planning to illegally take up residence in Venezuela.

"We hear say dem can't extradite we once we reach a Venezuela and nuff a we family in talk with people there. Money all spend up so we could reach by sea. Housing and work all line up fi we and di idiat warder bwoy dem mash up man plan," he said.

NOTHING NEW

However, Smith's claims were rubbished by a prison insider who said the inmates had no intentions of making a run for it.

"The tunnel has been there for a very long time, it's nothing new. Back in the days, prisoners used to try and escape but were never successful. However, it (the hole) wasn't blocked up properly ... so now is like them find it and a create a big deal," he said.

He said that although critics would be quick to run with the escape rumours, "nobody in GP wants to escape".

"These men are on the way to rehabilitation. If you should talk to any of the men in here they will tell you that life sentence man them never use to go home a dem yard and since parole start running and all a that, every man a behave themselves because they want to go home," he said.

He told THE STAR that the escape theory "is a lie from the pit of hell".

"The work that the warders should be doing, they turn a blind eye to them," he said. "When prisoners are sick and need assistance and man a beat down the place to get them attention, they act as if they don't hear but now a try make a big deal out of nothing."

*name changed