UNC SENATOR: FIRE HINDS NOW
The shocking story of a prison break at the Golden Grove prison is yet another example of the Government’s inability to keep this country secure. The PNM’s most consistent failure, Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, continues to demonstrate his ineptitude when it comes to addressing the worsening crime situation.
With an abysmal detection rate and even worse conviction rate, one would hope that the population would at least be kept safe from those actually convicted of crimes.
Whilst millions are spent on legal fees to fight for the denial of bail to persons who are not yet proven guilty, the prison which houses convicted criminals is so dilapidated that five men were able to escaped through the roof by cutting through BRC and raising up galvanize sheeting.
The PNM has consistently reduced budget allocations for national security and the country is feeling the pain of those decisions every single day.
Still, with $5.6 billion taxpayers’ dollars allocated to National Security, and boasts being made by the Government about state-of-the-art security upgrades like alarms, fencing and CCTV cameras, the country expects and deserves better.
The Prison Officer’s Association has highlighted a troubling fact, that private contractors are still being paid to move prisoners from one building to another to attend virtual court, whilst the said buildings are so derelict, they cannot even contain the convicts.
This aptly demonstrates the fact that this Government is not serious about reforming the criminal justice system, of which the prison system is an integral part, but are simply engaging in public relations stunts each time there is a camera focused on them.
I am calling on the Prime Minister, who openly expressed his concern over the criminal justice system, to immediately replace Minister Hinds with someone who believes that their duty is to make citizens feel safe by at least keeping convicted persons behind bars. National Security requires leadership from someone who will give the necessary attention to the infrastructural needs of our nation’s prisons in addition to the many other burning issues which are simply being ignored by the hopelessly incompetent Minister Hinds who is enjoy life in the shade while shirking his responsibilities, leaving citizens’ at risk and living in fear.
Senator Jayanti R. Lutchmedial