Senior Reporter
rhondor.dowlat@guardian.co.tt
More than two dozen officers have been temporarily reassigned to the Port-of-Spain Prison to help manage the shortage of staff.
This was disclosed to Guardian Media by acting Commissioner of Prisons, Deopersad Ramoutar.
President of the Prison Officers Association, Gerard Gordon, was one of those who were transferred. Gordon was transferred from the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Facility and will pick up duty at the Port-of-Spain Prison tomorrow morning.
Gordon’s transfer came just one day after he called for the immediate relocation of the Port-of-Spain Prison.
The transfer was a directive from Ramoutar. Gordon said he only received the instruction on Friday afternoon.
Asked if he was given a reason for his transfer and if he felt it was connected to Thursday’s media conference, Gordon replied, “No reason. The timeline is weird, maybe.”
During a media conference outside the prison on Thursday morning, Gordon described the facility as a dungeon, saying it has outlived its usefulness.
Gordon also noted that it is 200 years old and faces many issues, including open fences.
Contacted for comment, Ramoutar said the transfer was normal and not a result of Gordon’s statements. “Yes, but it has nothing to do with his media statement. Gordon is a prison officer and has to perform such duties. He is among many officers who will be called upon to assist their brother officers in times of stress unless they choose to fall sick,” Ramoutar added.