The contract for a supplier of cell phone jammers and body scanners in prisons is expected to be awarded in two weeks, says Justice Minister Emmanuel George. George made the comment during his contribution to debate of a bill to amend the Prisons Act, Criminal Offences Act and the Mental Health Act in Parliament yesterday. He was responding to comments made by Opposition MP Colm Imbert, who accused the Government of acting as though the prisons were a paradise.
Imbert questioned the Government’s neglect of issues such as riots, poor facilities, safety of security officers, the acquisition of cell phones by inmates and an alleged prison litigation conspiracy commonly referred to as “Prisongate.” George, who said most of the issues would be dealt with in the draft prison rules, which were waiting to be laid in Parliament, said Government was currently addressing many of the issues. Speaking to reporters afterwards, George said the matter was before the special tenders committee of the Ministry of National Security and the contract would soon be awarded. “We expect that shortly that contract would be awarded and when we say shortly, within a fortnight,” said George.
He said the plan was to put cell phone jammers and body scanners at the Golden Grove prison, as that was the most problematic. He said the contract for protective vests for prison officers had already been awarded. “We expect that we will get the supplies within three months and once we get them it will go to the Commissioner of Prisons and he will decide who will get these vests.” George said some of the vests were stab-proof and others were bulletproof.