Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday called into question the ability of Prison Superintendent Dr. Elliston Rahming a day after a deadly prison break, which resulted in two deaths, and one prisoner remaining on the loose.
But Prime Minister Perry Christie quickly lashed out at Mr. Ingraham for criticizing Dr. Rahming in the absence of a conclusion of investigations into the uprising.
“I think the leader of the opposition has been totally irresponsible in this statement,” said Mr. Christie during the afternoon sitting of the House of Assembly.
“I think he obviously characterizes his politics by these sort of sensationalizing of issues. When it comes down to something that is now being investigated and affects the sovereignty and the security of this country, one would expect a leader of the opposition to exercise a greater degree of responsibility. People have lost their lives. It is being investigated.”
He cried shame on Mr. Ingraham for “suggesting some fault or default on the part of the person there (Dr. Rahming) when an investigation has not yet taken place.”
The prime minister emphasized, “I think it is absolutely irresponsible on the part of the leader of the opposition.”
Prior to the prime minister’s spirited response, Mr. Ingraham said that clearly, a serious breach of security has occurred at Her Majesty’s Prison.
“Those in positions of authority and responsibility will need to give an urgent accounting,” the former prime minister said.
He said the conditions at Her Majesty’s Prison in Fox Hill are difficult and unbecoming.
“The facility is shamefully and disgracefully overcrowded,” Mr. Ingraham said.
“In office, my government acted to reduce overcrowding with the design and construction of a new 80-cell block remand centre, which was in fact inaugurated by this government. The construction of a new immigration detention centre also contributed to the reduction of the number of individuals detained or incarcerated at the prison in Fox Hill.”
But he said notwithstanding the construction of those new and additional facilities, many critical tasks remain outstanding for the prison.
He said those tasks include, “the need for the recruitment of additional staff, the upgrade of staff training, the improvement of rehabilitation programmes, education, training and counseling for inmates, most particularly for those expected to be returned to society and the provision of more humane accommodation for serious offenders likely to be long-term inmates, inmates like those involved in yesterday’s terrible incident.”
He noted that since assuming office nearly four years ago, this government has been very vocal in promoting its programme of prison reform.
“Indeed, following upon the delivery of the widely publicized Prison Reform Commission report to the prime minister, the commission’s chairman, a trained criminologist (Dr. Rahming), was identified to replace the former acting superintendent of the prisons.
“Time and events have yet to show that he is the right man for the job at hand at Her Majesty’s Prison. We in the Free National Movement support prison reform as is evident from our record in office when a concerted effort was made to improve prison nutrition and health services and academic and vocational education.
“We are concerned however that new efforts by the government to mordernise prison management may have resulted in the removal from the system of tried and tested officers most familiar with conditions and operations at the prison.”
He pointed to the re-assignment of former prison superintendent, Edwin Culmer, who was last year appointed director of the Detention Centre, off Carmichael Road.
Speaking about Tuesday’s prison tragedy, Mr. Ingraham said, “It is perhaps too early in the day to commence a postmortem of this tragic event. However, this is a matter of national interest, concern and consequence. Hence, we in the opposition will closely monitor the government’s response to this national tragedy.”
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
