T&T: Prison guard brutality not the Ass. Commissioner's concern

The horrifying allegations of abuse raised by a prisoner earlier this week must be investigated.

The prisoner has a medical report confirming that he was beaten, and other prisoners in court at the time confirmed that they too had suffered similar beatings at the hands of prison authorities.

They had not raised the issue in the past, and did not want it raised, because, they told their fellow inmate, it was embarrassing; to complain about being beaten, and indeed to suffer a beating, is apparently considered unmanly in prison culture.

In addition, it appears that prisoners believe that complaining about such incidents is a waste of time.

It is disturbing that the prisoner who blew the whistle felt he had to make his complaints in court. But perhaps that was indeed the only way they would receive any attention. For almost as disturbing as the prisoner’s allegations, for which he has medical evidence, was the reaction of Carlos McHoney, who has only recently been made Acting Commissioner of Prisons.

Asked whether he would be looking into the prisoner’s claims, Mr McHoney dismissed them, saying he could not investigate such allegations, because if he did he would have no time to do his work.

C'mon, who in T&T doesn't know that guard-delivered "body music" is part of the culture of the country's prisons? Prison conditions in T&T are horrific, and brutal beatings are so common that to investigate might result in the suspension of every prison officer.

Guards have been known to beat prisoners like a road march simply for wearing a hat. Instead of asking the prisoner to remove the hat, some guards have been known to pelt a rain of blows which will only be ended when the prisoner, advised by his fellows, takes off the hat. It is that level of brutality, and I know it because exactly that happened to Black Mouth, the brother of a friend of mine. Would the guard have killed him if the other prisoners hadn't told him to remove the hat? We'll never know.

It's way past time for reformation in the prison system in T&T.