The 3 Week Lock-Down of Her Majesty’s Prison by recently appointed Superintendent of Prisons Junie Hodge has resulted in the seizure of thousands of contraband items including 126 phones, 160 lighters, Scores of Make-shift weapons including knives, marijuana, crack-cocaine alcohol and much more.
The 3 week exercise netted the largest haul of contraband in the history of the Institution. Superintendent Hodge met with the media on Monday February 22nd and revealed the results of his exercise which was described as “mind-boggling”.
Hodge told the media in a report last week that the massive haul raises suspicion of staff involvement in the smuggling of the items into the Prisons.
Alcohol in plastic bottles were thrown over the prison wall. Lighters and cell phones were found hidden in various items like mop heads, bed foam, rolls of toilet paper, the soles of shoes and wooden bed frames.
Batteries and foil were used to charge cell phones. Tobacco and approximately 8 lbs of marijuana and a small about of crack-cocaine were seized. Also seized were matches and wrappers used for smoking.
A glance through the items pictured and found shows the tremendous creativity of the inmates in the way they concealed their contraband items as well as how they constructed and operated certain gadgets to facilitate the operation of items such as the cell phones.
In the wake of a massive discovery of prohibited items inside Her Majesty’s (HMS) Prison in St. Kitts, Superintendent of Prisons, Junie Hodge, said that “it will not be business as usual” and “that anyone found in breach of the prison regulations will be seriously dealt with according to the law.”
The tough-talking superintendent said that all persons visiting the prison onward will be subject to a search, from the superintendent down. He said that there will be an investigation to determine how the items found their way into the prison. Also, he spoke about the installation of closed -circuit television (CCTV) to help with security.
Her Majesty’s Prison was closed to visitors from the general public for twenty one (21) days commencing the 2nd February, 2016 until the 22nd February, 2016, to facilitate the transition period of the new superintendent of prisons and to do an audit of the security compound.
Meanwhile Freedom Fm speaking to reliable security sources who requested anonymity, have learnt that almost half of the items displayed , were already in the prison evidence room over a period of time.”There is no way that amount of cell phones and other stuff could be found at one time….that means the prisoners had them lying around in plain view, as there is no place in the prison for all those items to be hidden”, the source concluded.