The conditions vary in Trinidadian prisons, from air-conditioned holding areas to dark, dank and dirty cellblocks. But one thing remains the same for all 6,000-plus inmates in Trinidad and Tobago's three prisons: There is no freedom, especially for pent-up sexual energy and frustrations. It is a world in which one can choose to use sex as a commodity in order to barter for goods and services to make a prison stay a bit more comfortable.
It's also a part of society that suffers from the myriad of myths about what goes on behind prison walls, when dozens of virile, hard-bodied men are forced to sleep together in a cell that does not preclude even the most innocent of barest physical contact. Sometimes, it can be a sexual tripwire, in an environment that is estimated to carry a 15 per cent HIV infection rate. According to the latest UNAids report on the status of HIV in the Caribbean, the Aids epidemic in the Caribbean officially began in 1981 when the first cases of Aids were recorded in Haiti.
However, retrospective analysis of patients has shown that the first cases of Aids already had been documented in 1979. Cases of Aids also had been documented among Haitians living in the United States at that time. In 1982, cases were reported in Jamaica and Bermuda and, by 1987, all Caribbean countries had reported at least one case. By 2001 there were 210,000 people living with HIV/Aids (PLHIV) and, in 2008, it was estimated that there were between 210,000 and 270,000 PLHIV in the wider Caribbean.
By the end of 2009, it was estimated that out of Trinidad and Tobago's 1.3 million population, 14,000 were PLHIV. Prisoners also have been affected by HIV. The lack of consistent access to prevention and treatment in penal settings increases their risk. Prevalence levels of between two and five per cent have been reported in the prison population of St Lucia and Guyana, respectively. "That's only what we know about," says one prison officer, JA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, since he is not an authorised spokesperson. He added: "People do not advertise that they have HIV or some other disease...and even if a prison officer is aware, that information is not shared. "But rumours of sadist rapes are mostly untrue," says the 15-year veteran. "If a rape occurs, it is usually done as an extraction of payment, with the owing party being fully aware of the potential consequences before entering any deal."
Rajkumar Ramroop, president of the Prison Officers Association, thinks many rapes go unreported, since victims are usually ashamed to pursue the matter. He says prison overcrowding-with up to ten men in a single cell-is a major contributor for the increase of STDs at the nation's prisons. "In some cases sex offenders are placed in the same cell as minor offenders, who are taken advantage of," he says, noting that poor identification procedures further complicate the situation.
Sex in prison is illegal. Homosexuality is also against the law. Therefore, there are no sex education programmes within the prison, so condom distribution activities do not exist. Whatever sex goes on behind bars is raw and dangerous. When disease rears its head, things get out of hand quickly and outbreaks of one type or another are regular occurrences. And like their free brethren, inmates also complain bitterly about the poor state of health care, which sees prisoners being treated for ailments days and sometimes weeks after their initial complaint.
It means that healthy prisoners always are vulnerable to the latest virus or bacteria making the rounds in the "Big House". It may be the stories like these that prompted Government several years ago to embark on a programme of prison reform, which would focus more on reformation rather than retribution. To date, however, there's been very little visible progress. Even the issue of conjugal visits is being discussed at the highest levels. HIV and Aids are also high on Government's agenda, especially where it relates to the prison system. "In 2008, the Government sought to establish a policy on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Trinidad and Tobago prisons," recalls Ramroop.
"But the final document is still being prepared. The Ministry of National Security is currently engaging a number of stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Health, the National Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programme, prison and other agencies with responsibility for social care, to assist in the fight against HIV in prison." HIV in prison is spread almost exclusively through homosexual activities. However, it is reported that the growing culture of prison gangs is contributing to a sharp rise in prison tattoo operations.
-Article courtesy Panos Caribbean)
Disturbing Prison practices
Adrian R is a multiple offender who understands the growing gang culture behind bars. "Tattoos are beginning to get popular," he says. "The artists rarely use needles. They tend to rely on razor blade, which they use to make tiny slices on the surface of the skin, after which Indian Ink is applied. "These razors are shared by dozens of inmates and are never sterilised or cleaned in any significant way. "You are likely to start your tattoo with the dried blood of the last person who took a design." He says one of the latest trends in prison is called the "domino".
Prisoners smuggle domino pieces into their cells and remove the metal pin or pivot from the middle of the playing piece. Inmates share razors with which they make an incision in their penis, just above the urethra, into which the domino pivot is implanted.The incision is allowed to heal and the sexual organ takes on a gnarly, reptilian texture, which prisoners claim increases their sexual prowess.
A Zaira and N Dwarika