Inmates no longer striking,
Reed back as ‘Chief Chef’
POINTE BLANCHE--Pointe Blanche Prison Director Rudsel Ricardo said Monday that the general strike at the prison in which the inmates were protesting against several “improprieties” had ended and the prisoners were back at work.
However, the inmates can no longer enjoy several of the activities that had been initiated as rehabilitation programmes, because of insufficient funding.
It seems for the moment to be a waiting game for the inmates, who have been meeting with government officials and others in a bid to make their positions clear and get a resolve.
The inmates recently also secured Monique Hoffman as their attorney to represent them during negotiations for cessation of the general strike they started about three weeks ago, in a bid to force authorities to right some of the wrongs they believed had been left uncorrected for too long.
One of their concerns was the belief that the situation at prisons in Curaçao and Bonaire were different from and in fact better than the situation in St. Maarten where inmate privilege and treatment are concerned. They wanted the Justice Minister of the Netherlands Antilles David Dick to rectify this matter.
They also felt unsafe with a minimal staff on duty while the prison guards held meetings to protest some of their salary issues and some issues relating to managements method of running the prison.
While none of these issues have been resolved, the inmates are at least able to celebrate the return of former Prison Chief Chef William Reed, who had retired a few years ago. The inmates went on a hunger strike as well, protesting that they were not happy with other inmates preparing the food alongside prison guards.
Prison Director Ricardo confirmed that Reed had been returned to his post since October 1.
The Daily Herald has learnt that the inmates are still awaiting a favourable response to the remainder of the issues they brought to the Justice Minister’s attention.
They have already met with Leader of Government Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams and National Alliance leader William Marlin and Member of Parliament Frans Richardson, in a bid to impress on them the importance of a resolution of their issues.
Richardson and Marlin had promised to assist the inmates with some furniture, as another of their concerns was the lack of chairs on which to sit while eating and proper beds on which to sleep. Their claim then was that they had to sit on milk cans and their beds were unhygienic.
What the next step will be for the inmates on their long journey for equality and fairness while they are detained is yet unknown.
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