T&T: Barty men prison officers abusing inmates

Earlier this week, Commissioner of Prisons Carlo McHoney dismissed allegations made by a prison inmate that he was being sexually abused by Prison officers. According to McHoney, while the possibility exists that inmates sexually abuse each other, there have never been reports of officers abusing inmates. But a former inmate of the Youth Training Centre (YTC) has come out in strong defence of prison inmates, saying that the abuse at the hands of prison officers is very real. The former inmate, who wished to remain anonymous, said he spent three years at YTC and during that time several of his fellow inmates had fallen prey to what he described as “sick” officers.

According to the former YTC inmate, “I have to say, fortunately for me, I have never been abused by the officers. But I have close friends who have confided in me that officers have sex with them — some on a regular basis.” He said one friend told him of an incident where he was taken by the officer to a far off room late one night and forced to have intercourse with the prison officer. “My friend told me this, and I believe him. I believe him simply because the officer is known to have made strange comments, not only to me, but to other inmates. The hard thing,  however, is that the officer who my friend said abused him, is married and has a family,” said the former inmate. Following his friend’s incident, the former inmate said the officer promised him money to keep him quiet, and often bought him things hoping to keep him silent on the issue.