Prisoner at game raises questions about prison privileges
There has been speculation in some segments of the press that an escaped prisoner, Raymond Flowers, is a suspect in the murder of Raymond Williams at “the Hangar” last Thursday night. However, Commissioner of Police Hughington Williams told News Five today that this is not the case. He also said that there have in fact been no escapes. But witnesses have reported seeing Flowers, convicted of manslaughter and serving time at Hattieville, at a football game this past weekend. Was he, as some allege, on a “weekend pass” and if so are other prisoners granted such privileges? Minister of National Security Jorge Espat told a news conference this week that he is not going to stand for prisoners roaming at will in the community. But the Minister in Charge of Prisons Dickie Bradley says there are strict policies in place to restrict prisoners’ movements, and if Raymond Flowers somehow slipped through the bureaucratic cracks, it won’t happen again.
Jorge Espat, Minister of National Security
“At the Ministry of National Security and Immigration we are very troubled by the practice of issuing weekend passes and the Police Department has registered the concern to the Superintendent of Prisons and we will shortly be finalizing a position as well a policy.”
But the Minister responsible for prisons Dickie Bradley says it is not the policy of the prison to let prisoners out on what Espat characterizes as “weekend passes”. He says prisoners are only allowed to leave the confines of the Hattieville Prison under certain conditions such as to go to the hospital for medical treatment, court appearances, to visit a gravely ill parent and attend funerals.
Dickie Bradley, Minister in Charge of Prisons
“An application has to be made. The Superintendent of Prisons must be satisfied that there is a genuine reason for a prisoner to be out of the compound in which case the superintendent assigns somebody to be responsible to take and return that prisoner. To see that he goes out at a particular time and comes back at a particular time. He is searched going out and he is searched going back in.”
Bradley says at no time are prisoners allowed to leave the compound and socialize with the public. If they are part of a work gang or sports team they must be accompanied by a warder and wear a uniform.
Dickie Bradley
“They remain in prison uniforms so the community and the society can know that there is a prisoner there and that there is a guard immediately in the vicinity and the surroundings of that prisoner. That is the standard procedure and of course if there has been deviations by it, you can be assured that heads will roll for the matter.”
It’s not clear at this point if any head will roll if it is found that an inmate Raymond Flowers started a fight this weekend at a football game at the M.C.C. Grounds. Flowers is serving time for the shooting death of a security guard at the Gourmet Restaurant in 1995.
Dickie Bradley
“I am extremely concerned over the information which I have heard that in fact a prisoner was at the M.C.C. Grounds at a football game and those who are claiming that they saw him could not see a warder in the immediate sight. The incident of course occurred just in that period where there is that transition between one superintendent and a new superintendent. And I have asked the sup to conduct a full inquiry into the matter to find out how that particular incident could have happened with Flowers and in fact to immediately, unless if there is some very, very pressing situation to immediately clamp down on inmates who are coming out to see relatives and families unless a doctor certificate can confirm that someone is dying, until she can be fully in control of the Prison Department.”
Bradley says prisoners with serving time for murder or rape are not allowed special leave. In regards to the murder of Raymond Williams, while no arrests have been made, News Five understands police are focusing their investigation on a US deportee.
