Gang fears stoke prison dispute

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17: Concern over the ability to respond to outbreaks of gang-related violence at Westgate is understood to be a factor in the prison labour dispute.

Lack of manpower and training on dealing with gangs is said to be among a list of concerns. Outdated equipment, including spy cameras, and concern over the security of the perimeter were also among the issues raised by officers at a meeting last Friday.

Three prison officers told the Bermuda Sun that they had voted to put in the mandatory 21-day notice of industrial action.

They said health and safety rather than pay were the biggest concerns.

Their plans to take action were first revealed on the Bermuda Sun’s website on Monday.

Representatives from the Prison Officers’ Association, including chairman Craig Clarke, were in talks with the Attorney General Michael Scott yesterday.

Neither Mr Scott nor Mr Clarke were prepared to comment as negotiations continued.

Strict labour laws make it difficult for essential workers like prison officers and firefighters to go on strike.

And it is understood that any action would likely take the form of a ‘work to rule’ — with staff fulfilling the exact terms of their contract and nothing more.

But Government is hopeful of heading off any form of action with a resolution believed to be possible as early as today.

Prison officers, who spoke to the Bermuda Sun under condition of anonymity, said they had a string of concerns connected to the ‘new breed’ of criminal at Westgate.

One officer said: “There is this element that we did not have before and we need better equipment and better security to deal with it.”

The officer said the fencing around the perimeter of the prison was insufficient and it was too easy for criminals to smuggle drugs and cellphones into Westgate.

Another officer said gang members in prison had “no thought about making threats about family”.

He said officers were concerned that prisoners who break the rules and attempt to intimidate officers are not dealt with harshly enough.

The Bermuda Sun previously reported that prisoners affiliated with different gangs were given different recreation times to avoid conflict in Westgate.

And prison officers believe they are doing a ‘good job’ of keeping the situation under control. But they believe more could be done to make their jobs easier and safer as the environment at Westgate changes.

Leroy Bean, of gang intervention group CARTEL, backed the officers.

He said: “I have warned before that we could be creating a battleground at Westgate if we don’t provide the necessary intervention to stem these conflicts.”

Additional reporting by Don Burgess and Mikaela Ian Pearman.