Suggestions presented to improve situation at Fort Augusta

3:24 pm, Fri January 18, 2019

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Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan and Monique Long, Policy and Advocacy Manager at Jamaicans For Justice

Proposals on how to improve the situation at Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre have been presented by human rights interests following the implementation of additional security measures at the facility.

They come in the wake of the protest by some inmates, who, in a live Facebook video, raised several concerns including the authorities violating their rights and inadequate protection.

The unrest developed after an inmate was stabbed by another inmate.

Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan argues that there needs to be a more coordinated strategy in dealing with enforcement at Fort Augusta.

"If you're going to do the searches, it has to be done in a way that is so strategic, not just in that institution but institutions in general, that you can always remove contraband. That is always to be ongoing. It's not to be a response after something happens," he put forward.

"The next thing is human rights. Communication is key. So if you're going to punish inmates for being on Facebook when you had not provided any other medium, such as limited internet access as well as cellphones, and then you are able to monitor calls and emails, so that you know what is going on so that persons who were a part of a case or is a part of the case is not at risk (sic)," he added.

Among the security measures instituted at Fort Augusta is the transfer of six high-risk inmates to the maximum security Horizon Adult Remand Centre.

Other measures include more frequent random searches, new gate procedures, and the removal of electrical outlets on the cell blocks to prevent the charging of phones.

Meanwhile, Monique Long, Policy and Advocacy Manager at Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ), said it appears that the inmates' concerns are genuine.

Ms Long said the state has a responsibility to ensure those in its care are protected.

"If we're serious about the rehabilitation of persons in lock-up, if we're serious about ensuring that these persons can be re-released into society, if that they can be punished in a way that still respects and protects their human rights, we have to do more than just respond to situations like this. We have to ensure that the systems we create are human rights based and they're doing more than just reacting and responding to a crisis," she asserted Thursday on RJR's Beyond The Headlines.