Senior Reporter
For the year ending 2023, some 411 cellphones were confiscated from prisons, contrasting with previous years when the numbers were in the thousands, says National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.
Hinds was replying in the Senate yesterday to UNC Senator Wade Mark’s query on measures being taken to address contract killings ordered by prisoners and its impact on the wider justice system.
Mark had noted January 2024 reports of approximately 20 contract killings being ordered by prisoners.
Hinds said, “According to information received from the Commissioner of Prisons, in the Prison Service’s ongoing attempts to ensure the safety and security of people, the Prison Service continues to introduce, upgrade and maintain security systems, which would be effective in deeming our establishments as secure, but mitigating any and all avenues for the passage of illegal contraband and unauthorised communication.”
Hinds added, “Our most recent efforts include the following—installation of ‘Jammers’ at our prisons commenced in the second half of 2023.
“However, cell phone jammers in prisons can only prevent unauthorised communication via cell phones, since other means of communication pose innate challenges, such as personal visits and letters. During these visits, inmates find more innovative ways, using coded language, to meet their desired means. The Prison Service is acting daily to prevent illegal communications.”
Hinds said prison searches are conducted and are routine and strategic.
“These target specific inmates, cells/divisions and are routine or based on intelligence received,” he said.
“At times, these searches are conducted with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies. For the year ending 2023, there were 411 cell phones confiscated. This contrasts with previous years when the numbers were in the thousands. This cell phone problem isn’t confined to T&T, it exists everywhere in the world - it’s a real phenomenon and problem.”
Hinds said drones, a new development, had become a medium to transport contraband items, including cell phones into the prisons.
“They pose particular challenges given their speed, acceleration and capacity for covert operations. Collaboration with the TTPS Air Support Unit has been an initiative to help alleviate this issue of drones and we have other ways in dealing with it - to relatively strong and good success.”
Hinds said measures also include searching prisons officers.
“... Regular searches of prisons officers, because we’re sure from the records of the even recent past that prison officers, as officers of the state, have been part of this problem. So we search and scan them on regular ongoing basis.”
This, he said, was to help prevent the introduction of contraband, including weapons, drugs and cell phones, into the system.
Hinds added, “We’ve established the Prison Interdiction Team (PIT) and their purpose is to pay attention to their colleagues who fall prey, as some previous government ministers have in T&T and others in many disciplines and professions.”
For the year ending 2023, he said six prisons officers were arrested and charged with possession of prohibited articles and for 2024 to date, two officers are currently before the courts charged for the same thing.
On Mark’s query about how the measures contribute to a reduction in “hits”, Hinds said these measures are largely interdictory and preventative.
“It’s difficult, I’d admit, to measure the preventative aspect of the security forces’ work,” Hinds said.
“We do, like every other state, have a problem with murders and ‘hits’ being called and action, as I’ve described, has been and is being taken to treat with it to bring success. One just has to imagine, that without these measures, God knows what our circumstances would have been like.”