High winds force female prisoners out of Fort Charlotte

Following high winds and rainfall last Thursday night, female prisoners housed at Fort Charlotte had to be relocated to one section of Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP), Kingstown.

According to a usually reliable source, at around 9:30 p.m., the wooden building that houses the female prisoners began shaking, due to the heavy winds.{{more}}

“It was shaking a lot. We had some rains and high winds. Those in authority were called and they were advised to vacate the building at Fort Charlotte,” the source stated.

Our source, who indicated that all six female prisoners were removed, said they are currently housed in a section of the male penitentiary located in Kingstown, at the rear of the High Court.

“They are using an area. They are blocked off from the male section. There are currently six females here. All of them had to be moved from Fort, but all of them are comfortable,” the source stated.

When contacted on the matter, superintendent of prisons Brenton Charles declined to comment, advising us to speak with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Godfred Pompey.

Pompey confirmed that the female prisoners had to be relocated for safety reasons, adding that the building in which the female prisoners had been housed at Fort Charlotte is quite old.

He, however, informed SEARCHLIGHT that a section to house female prisoners and a trade shop are presently being constructed at the Belle Isle Correctional Facilty, at a cost of EC$1.5 million.