PRISON UNREST: Buildings reduced to ashes, shots fired, prisoners set fire to Officers’ Club

By Leroy Smith

Hundreds of prisoners are being moved out of the Camp Street Jail to other prisons across the country. Some were relocated to the Officers Club and a fire was also set to that building.

The development comes as several buildings in the prison compound were this set alight. It is unclear how the fire started but prisoners as they sat in a pickup to be transported said that they were eating at the time the fire started at about 2:30 pm.

Buses, canters, trucks and vans are being used to transport the prisoners.

The fire service is unable to gain access to the compound to fight the blaze even as prisoners litter the compound of the jail.

The administrative building and several other blocks within the compound have been gutted thus far.

Police sources are saying that no prisoners are on the run but eyewitnesses who are on the ground said that at least three prisoners have fled the area.

The police have very little control of the crowd as spectators continue to breach barriers and human security cordon.

Relatives of inmates are fainting and collapsing at the scene even as some young men and women laugh at the situation.

Several senior police officers including Assistant Commissioner Operations, Clifton Hicken, Commander Marlon Chapman and Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green among others are on the ground.

The fire service and emergency medical first responders are on standby.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the unrest at the prison started since yesterday (Saturday, July 08, 2017) and that was quelled to some extent but the situation erupted again today (Sunday, July 09, 2017).

It is also reported that a prisoner was also throwing hot water on persons within the compound but it is unclear if that was done to prisoners or workers at the holding facility.