[Onthebarricades] BARBADOS: Statists look into uprising which destroyed prison

[Andy]

http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=33154

Lack of leadership a factor during Glendairy Riot
Web Posted - Sun Sep 30 2007
There was a lack of leadership by senior officials at Glendairy Prison during the riot that ultimately led to the facilitys destruction in March, 2005. 
This was the opinion of Prison Officer Two, Reginald Parris, who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into to the incident at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on Friday. Facing questioning from Attorney-at-Law for the prison officers, Tyrone Estwick, Parris testified that he expected to receive orders on how to proceed in the riot situation from 
any of the senior officers
, including the Acting Superintendent of Prisons, or the Assistant Superintendent, but he did not see any of these officers on either of the two days of rioting. Furthermore, he testified that he did not receive any such orders on the first day of the riot, and found it difficult to say who was in charge at the facility during the crisis. 

Recounting the events of the day, Parris, who was one of two officers manning the 
F
 and 
G
 Corridors, said that his first indication that anything was wrong at the Station Hill site was when he faced a 20 to 25-minute delay while trying to re-enter the Station Hill site on March 29th after taking his morning break, only to be informed that a riot had broken out. 

Upon re-entering the prison, Parris said he witnessed approximately five officers of his rank congregated under 
the Arch
. When he tried to return to his post, Parris said that he was greeted by rocks being thrown by prisoners from the Main Yard. The prison officer said that he then proceeded to the Armoury where he was issued with an M16 and was joined in the driveway by another officer in an attempt to prevent the rioting prisoners from leaving the Main Yard and entering the Extension Prison, without a direct order to do so. He recalled firing two warning shots when inmates approached this position, which caused the prisoners to disperse. Parris said that he and the other officer were eventually ordered to retreat from their position, a move that he believed resulted in the destruction of the Extension Prison. 

Parris, who testified for nearly three hours, told the Commission of Inquiry that he was waiting for a superior to order the inmates to desist their behaviour and for orders for the prison officers. He also noted that there was a shortage of staff on the first morning of the incident, and testified that only four prisoner officers were on duty that morning. The Commission of Inquiry is expected to meet again on October 8th, 2007.
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