Concerns are being raised after it was brought to the court’s attention that at least three (3) inmates at the Dominica State Prison have the dreaded COVID virus.
Nature Isle News (NIN) can confirm that prisoners on remand and pending trial who were due to appear before the court on Monday, March 27, 2023, were not brought down. “All I can say to you is that it is a fact that there are more than three confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Dominica State Prison and this is also affecting the court’s system,” a lawyer speaking to NIN stated.
Calls to Prison Superintendent Kenrick Jean Jacques by NIN went unanswered as we desperately tried to get comments and or reactions about the situation.
In his April 14, 2022 report to the court, Acting Assistant Superintendent of Prison Handel Josep disclosed that while the prison is faced with “its own unique challenges,” they are coping well and managing the situation.
He stated that on the gains at the prison, they now have a new prison bus which will facilitate the prison in having the inmates travel on a separate vehicle from officers. They also have six (6) retired Prison Officers performing night duties which allows the current serving officers to be “deployed on the day shift.” He also told the court that due to COVID-19 visits for inmates by friends, families, and loved ones “have been placed on hold.” It was also disclosed that prisoners are isolated and screened on arrival at the prison to ensure that if they are tested positive for COVID-19 it does not affect the rest of the population.