Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security - file photo
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Matthew Samuda
Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, has again defended the government's management of COVID-19 in prisons.
He responded to calls for the release of some inmates, insisting "it is not the position of the government that we will release inmates early."
The minister argued that the prisoners would not be guaranteed more safety anywhere in Jamaica.
In fact, he pointed out that the country has "gone through successive weeks of 30 per cent positivity rate for those tested," but there has never been as high a positivity rate in any of Jamaica's prisons.
He said this goes against the argument that prisoners are "less safe." He asserted that the government has put in place "a number of mitigating measures which have reduced spread" whenever there are cases within facilities.
Twelve inmates and 16 staff members at correctional facilities are currently infected with the coronavirus.
Mr. Samuda said 120 inmates have recovered.
A check of the Department of Correctional Services website showed that 144 staff members have recovered.
There have been five deaths, two of whom were inmates.
Mr. Samuda was speaking Thursday at a virtual public forum on Managing the COVID-19 Pandemic in Prisons. It was put on by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies at the University of the West Indies.
Funds for structural needs
In the meantime, Mr. Samuda said the Ministry of National Security has been reviewing its budget to identify funds to respond to the structural needs at correctional facilities.
Mr. Samuda noted that while numerous reports have pointed to flaws in the condition of the facilities, they have not offered professional technical advice to correct the problems.
He said the ministry has begun the process of engaging an engineering firm that will assess "every single one of the correctional facilities in determining what is fit for purpose, what is not fit for purpose, what must be abandoned, what can be used, what needs to be done to facilitate sanitation standards coming down within the Mandela Rules (and) what is sufficient."
The Nelson Mandela Rules relate to all aspects of prison management, including guidance on healthcare, recruitment and training of prison staff.
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