PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Prisons officers are being murdered because they are being seen as representatives of the state by prisoners, who have apprehended them through the police.
This is the view of Commissioner of Prisons John Rougier, who also suggested thatgang leaders who lose rank in the eyes of members, who are fellow prisoners, may result in hits being ordered on prisons officers.
“As far as I am concerned, we are talking about criminals who have been apprehended by the state, represented by the police. They are being taken to court and to prison and when they come to prison, they see us as the representative of the state,” said Rougier.
Rougier believes because the criminals spend the longest period of time in the prisons, they build up anger and animosity towards prisons officers, and that is what has led to some of the attacks.
“They are taking it out on us as representatives of the state,” he said.
Asked whether abuse of inmates could play a role in the killing of the officers, Rougier said though there have been cases where excessive force was used by officers, such instances were in a minority.
(Trinidad Express)
