Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterSEVERAL INMATES who were implicated in a sex scandal, which includes the sexual abuse of mentally ill prisoners, have been removed from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre to another maximum security institution for closer monitoring.
A report from the Ministry of National Security said investigations into allegations of sexual abuse had revealed that there were three cases with "strong allegations of abuse" involving mentally ill inmates with one case verified.
The intervention of the ministry came three months after the former Mayor for Spanish Town, Dr. Raymoth Notice, who is also a former prison doctor, had disclosed at a St. Catherine Public Health Committee meeting that there were cases of widespread sexual abuse at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.
MENTALLY ILL TARGETED
He said mentally-challenged inmates were being targeted by other inmates, so too were prisoners who were serving long sentences for non-violent crimes.
Following the comments made by Dr. Notice, the ministry conducted an investigation at the St. Catherine and Tower Street Correctional centres.
Contacted yesterday, Dr. Notice further explained that there are cases where one inmate has been raped by at least three other prisoners.
"There are instances where prisoners are knocked out cold and gang raped," said Dr. Notice, who worked in the penal system for seven years.
He said some of these incidents are not reported because the victims are too ashamed and embarrassed. Some of the crimes are committed by so-called dons who are serving very long sentences.
NO KNOWLEDGE BY POLICE
Head of the St. Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Kenneth Wade, the officer in charge of the geographical area under which the St. Catherine Correctional Centre falls, said he has no knowledge of the incidents, as nothing was reported to him.
"If there is a case of buggery, then it is a crime and the police must investigate," said Supt. Wade.
In the meantime, the ministry has begun separating the mentally challenged inmates and monitoring them more closely. And the Department of Correctional Services has upgraded the bathroom facilities to limit contact between mentally ill inmates and alleged abusers.
It also now has a larger inventory of medicines used to assist the mentally ill who are receiving counselling and therapy.
Widespread abuse of mentally-ill inmates at St Catherine facility
