As a Rock of Ages Funeral Home hearse rolled out of the Her Majesty’s Prison compound on Tuesday, a woman who has a son on death row at the prison said he told her on Sunday that an uprising had been planned.
She said she took it as a joke, but as far as the family of prison officer, Corporal Dion Bowles is concerned, her report to the authorities could have saved his life.
Bowles, 38, was stabbed to death during the early morning uprising at the prison, which left another two prison officers – Kenneth Sweeting and David Armbister injured.
Neil Brown, the death row inmate who was convicted of murdering Anglican Archdeacon William Thompson in 2000, was shot and killed in the incident, according to authorities. He was reportedly one of four prisoners who carried out an elaborate plot to escape.
Up to yesterday afternoon, police were still on the hunt for Corey Douglas Hepburn, 36, another prisoner who was a part of the revolt. He had escaped twice before.
The woman, whose son was convicted of murdering two people, said she had come outside the gates to determine whether he had been involved in the uprising and to find out whether he was “okay”.
“When I went to visit, all I heard were rumors that the prisoners were getting mistreated and abused and that they were tired and that some of them were planning to leave,” said the woman, who did not want her name used.
“I wasn’t taking it seriously because usually when I come up here I hear a lot of things. I don’t really take it seriously, but when I heard this, this morning, I had no other choice but to run and find out what really happened.”
Asked why she hadn’t reported the plot, she said, “Trying to get to the authorities to report things is very hard because when you go to people and tell them that you heard something they put you in the position to make you sound like you’re the party involved in it.”
Mr. Bowles’ sister, Jean, was distraught outside the prison gates. She and other relatives and friends said they had not received an official report, but someone else they knew who works at the prison informed them about the incident.
They cried out as the hearse left Her Majesty’s Prison and members of the angry crowd on the scene demanded that hangings resume.
Ms. Bowles said her brother was a humbled and quiet person who was well liked. She told The Bahama Journal that the family had received reports that he had been gagged and stabbed multiple times.
“It’s not an easy feeling to lose a brother – and my baby brother – so untimely like that,” she said, choking back tears.
Prison officials later confirmed the stabbing.
Mr. Bowles was a prison officer for 13 years.
“He gave his life and officers Armbrister and Sweeting received injury to protect the general public and the prison service is grateful and indebted,” said Dr. Elliston Rahming, the criminologist, who the government appointed last year to head the prison.
Outside the prison gates, the age-old debate of capital punishment was again raised as many on the scene expressed outrage over the killing of a prison officer.
“I think that they need to start hanging again,” yelled own woman. “They need to sit to the table now and they need to start to hang. This is a serious, serious matter now, very serious. Whether you are FNM or PLP we need to sit down in a group. The prime minister needs to [cause there to be] an inquiry and he needs to start hanging.”
She added, “They need to send a message to tell these criminals stop [committing crime].”
Dr. Rahming later reported during a press conference that inmate, Forrester Bowe, 29, was shot and taken to hospital and inmate, Barry Parcoi, 42, was injured and also taken to hospital. Both were treated and returned to the prison, according to the superintendent.
Parcoi’s name became a household name last year when he escaped from the prison and was later captured in Fresh Creek, Andros.
Parcoi was serving a life sentence for rape and forcible detention when he escaped Her Majesty’s Prison in 2005. At the time, officials said he had already served 19 years on his life sentence.
But his rap sheet also includes a conviction in 1991 for escaping lawful custody and he was subsequently sentenced to an additional two years in prison.
In 1993, he was sentenced to an additional six months in prison for attempting to escape. That same year, he was handed down a 20-year prison sentence for armed robbery.
In early 1994, Parcoi received a two-year sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and in May 1994, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Parcoi’s escape prompted prison officials to seek the most cutting edge methodology for further fortifying the boundaries of the facility and for the first time, there is now in place an Internal Affairs Unit aimed at targeting suspicious activities and other matters that may compromise security at Her Majesty’s Prison, Dr. Rahming had said.
Forrester Bowe was also a name that has been in the news in recent times.
Bowe and another murder convict, Trono Davis, are awaiting a decision from the Privy Council regarding an appeal that was heard last month.
Their attorneys claim that the mandatory death sentence violates their right to life as provided in the constitution.
A ruling in their favour could impact all the condemned men, but authorities will have to deal with them on a case-by-case basis, according to the attorney general.
The last person hanged in The Bahamas was David Mitchell, who met his fate at the gallows on January 6, 2000.
On Tuesday, authorities gave no specifics on how the men managed to escape.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
