Armadale Enquiry - Wards continue to tell of the poor conditions; another witness blames policeman for fire
August 22, 2009
A ward who testified at the commission of enquiry into a fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Ann in May said not all the girls got food at mealtime as the commodity sometimes ran short.
The 15-year-old witness said when this was brought to the attention of the correctional officers who were on duty, they were told, "Go to yuh friends and mek dem give yuh." Additionally, she said, they were given only water for supper on a number of occasions.
The ward, who was giving evidence at the Council of Voluntary Social Services-National Volunteer Centre in Kingston, yesterday said sometimes the food was not properly cooked.
"Sometimes the girls throw back di food through the hatch," she said, explaining that food was pushed through a hole in the door to their dorms.
The ward, who others said had attempted to run away while being transferred from the office dorm to the cottage dorm, said she did not want to run away as she did not want to go home. "Mi neva did a go anywhere, so mi stop," she said. She went on to explain that she did not want to go to the cottage dorm because of a ward there. "She have har fren dem over deh an me an dem cyaah 'gree," she said.
Had to readjust
The witness said she did not like being moved from one dorm to the other, as she had to readjust to the girls on each occasion.
Furthermore, she said after being transferred she had to sleep on the floor, until another girl decided to share a bed with her. ...
Author: Kimesha Walters
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
