The conditions at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre could have been better if recommendations for improvement were implemented, according to Faydene Ferreira, an assistant superintendent at institution.
Ferreira testified yesterday, during day six of the commission of enquiry into the deadly May 22 fire that claimed seven lives at the St Ann facility, that reports were sent from June 30 of last year to February of this year requesting additional security officers, a holding area for disruptive wards and additional space for wards.
Ferreira presented several documents to the enquiry yesterday, which she said were previously given to the acting commissioner. The papers detailed requests for improving the St Ann facility and the correctional officer said they were made during monthly meetings at the Department of Correctional Services head office in Kingston.
Lack of space
Meanwhile, Ferreira maintained that only wards who misbehaved were normally put on lockdown in order to restrict or minimise movement during a disturbance. However, due to a lack of space, the entire dorm had to suffer for the instability caused by a few.
"We have no space, we have no isolation room, we have no isolated wards. We only have two dorms," said Ferreira, while explaining that all wards are locked down until calm is restored.
Commenting on the unsanitary conditions in which girls had to pass excrement, Ferreira said the girls were not allowed to go to the bathroom at nights, as there were not enough correctional officers to work.
She stressed that she made several complaints to her superiors, and was told that officers were in training and would be sent to Armadale on completion of their course.
"On a previous occasion we have had officers who were attacked," Ferreira also argued. She said the use of buckets for excretory functions at nights was implemented before she started working as assistant commissioner in March 2008.
Ferreira will resume her testimony at the Council of Voluntary Social Services- National Volunteer Centre on Camp Road in Kingston today.
kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com