Prisoners released to ease jail crowding

| 20/04/2020 | 40 Comments
Cayman News Service
HMP Northward

(CNS): The prison director has released on licence fourteen local prisoners who were approaching the end of their sentence or deemed to be low risk to reduce prison overcrowding and control the potential spread of the coronavirus at HMP Northward. Another four prisoners from overseas have also been released and deported on the flights to Miami on Friday and Canada on Monday, after Governor Martyn Roper accepted advice to remit their sentences.

These four prisoners were also said to be low risk and responded very well to custody, having engaged with the services and interventions offered to them. On release, they were taken directly to the airport for their relevant flights, officials stated.

HMP Northward currently has a population of 185. And although it is designed to hold 169 inmates, the maximum single cell occupancy is 138. Prison Director Steve Barrett explained in a pres release that with the onset of COVID-19, this presented significant challenges for a closed prison environment.

To safeguard the health of prison staff and prisoners and to enable better adherence to the policy of social distancing, it was necessary to reduce the headcount.

Meanwhile, the very nature of a prison environment continues to present a serious problem for a virus as contagious and potentially dangerous as COVID-19. As a result all prison staff and inmates will be among the first groups to be tested when the wide-scale testing gets underway, the governor said at Monday’s daily briefing.


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Category: Crime, Health, Medical Health, Prison

Comments (40)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Guess they never revealed that one of the “low risk” ones to be released on bail was recently convicted for the second time of possession of an unlicensed firearm (a mandatory minimum of 10 yrs) and has not served a day of that sentence yet (nowhere near “the end of their sentence”) as they still have not been sentenced by the courts months after their conviction? How does someone get bail “pending sentence” on a firearms offence when facing so much jail time or considered “low risk” when they are a career criminal with many many convictions and discharging a firearm in public (which led to the recovery of the weapon)? Wonder who in the world can explain this one (sensibly)?

  2. Anonymous says:

    Well, I am not an elderly man looking for love and making the object of my affection a signatory on my bank accounts. Legal in every country but Cayman.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Where is the Cuban “refugees” gang?

  4. Anonymous says:

    Out of one prison and in to another

  5. Anonymous says:

    It’s called prison for a reason! It ain’t supposed to be peaches and cream!

    They have it to good in Caymans prison.

    What was the saying, 3 meals aday and no Bill’s to pay.

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    • Anonymous says:

      3 meals and no bills….. i bet many would like to take that option in life right now

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yep only because it’s “peaches and cream”. Go visit a prison in any of our neighboring islands and get back to me.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Alas, why we need the military…

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  7. Kiabopete says:

    I heard the police comment a few weeks ago. Totally un true , the prison is dangerously overcrowded,

    This has just laid bare how prehistoric our prison accommodation is and how neglected it is.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    My issue with this is that the Governor or Police Commissioner made no statement on this until the rumor mill began and they were questioned on it by a reporter..

    During times like this, shouldn’t we be the first to know when prisoners are being released amongst us. Were these prisoners tested or asked to quarantine after they got out?

    We are now seeing the feel good sentiments diminish as we find out that everything that is being done is not necessarily in our best interest or that we as the people of the Cayman Islands should not be privy to this type of information unless asked..

    Yesterday, the Governor didn’t even know that 34 people came in on the Canadian flight..He also stated that they were asked to self isolate and not one reporter picked up on this..So are they Self Isolating or quarantined in one of the hotels for 2 weeks?

    Be careful people, like dogs, they throw us a treat every once in a while to keep us starved enough to come back for more..

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Making room for the curfew rebels?

  10. Junior says:

    I think the prison is supposed to hold like 150 prisoner. I think they have like 185 at northward now so not only is it well overcrowded as well as a danger to the staff I’m sure some can go home on tags , 8 mean driving with no insurance, taking conch, riding a bike with no lights, drunk, refusing sample of urines , fines, threats, I mean get real people. Have some sense here
    The prison is really trying of late I see.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Here comes the CNS jurors with pitch forks.

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    • Anonymous says:

      LOL .. so true

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    • Anonymous says:

      Here come the mentally challenged lieberals with every excuse under the book to support criminals.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah – they wouldn’t have to worry about letting them out if we still had the death penalty! And you wouldn’t get people messing with the RCIPS on the beach either!!

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      • Anonymous says:

        You must be mentally retarded, if you dont know that every criminal will be released one day….

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        • Anonymous says:

          So what??? Does that mean that they ought to be released early? You’re obviously not all that bright! Or do you think that all criminals are innocent! No wonder the world has gone to sh1t. Bleeding hearts like you who excuse every criminal behaviour and blur the lines between right and wrong! Thanks ahole!

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Prisoners in Cayman always seem to get preferential consideration above and beyond what is given to the average law abiding resident. While the government will delay and delay making the COVID-19 tests readily available to any tax paying resident that wants to be tested they will most certainly ensure that prisoners are first in line to get tested.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Free Lobo! Free Bouchard!

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  14. Anonymous says:

    comiisioner was asked this a couple of weks ago and he siad there was no issue with social distancing in the prisons.
    anyone who knows the reality of the prisons here….know that was a pure lie.

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    • Anonymous says:

      True! That was a lie. There is absolutely zero social distancing in there, they are jam packed in there. If the virus gets in there they will all get it, just like the Prison in B.C. Canada.

  15. Anonymous says:

    3rd world. end of story.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well then so is the UK as they are doing the same thing.

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      • Anon says:

        7.31am Out of 65 million not one has called their Civil Service world class., but I agree about the prisons.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Anon. UK Calls their civil service Brilliant!!

          I see our civil service providing world class services every day. You are so ungrateful. A civil servant will keep you safe tonight and take your call on the mental health help line. The latter is a hint!!

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