No punishment yet for prison rioters

While Dickie Bradley, Minister of Prisons had told News Five in an interview that those responsible for Tuesday night’s near riot at Hattieville would soon be punished, Jennifer Lovell, the Acting Superintendent of Prisons says so far the matter is still under investigation. Lovell told News Five that they have yet to identify who were the ringleaders in the incident. Once an identification is made, the inmates will be brought before a tribunal where a judge will decide what punishment should be given. Lovell says depending on the severity of the offence, the inmates can either have time added onto their present sentences or have their privileges taken away. In response to this morning’s stabbing incident involving Albert Broaster, Lovell says when inmates leave their cells for recreation, their quarters are thoroughly searched so she does not know if the weapon used was buried somewhere on the compound. Lovell added that while this latest incident may indicate that such prison crimes are on an increase, she says that while previously such incidents would happen on a daily basis, it is only now that they are being publicized. Presently there are one hundred and fifty prison officers to oversee over a thousand inmates.