Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean & World News

Disrespect from female prison officers at the highest order! "This only shows how difficult it is to get some officers to be a role model to inmates." This was the comment of recently retired Commissioner of Prisons Deopersad Ramoutar to a viral video where female prison officers engaged in unethical conduct at the clerical office at the Women's Prison last week. In the video, the officers were seen dancing and singing, "Captain, the ship is sinking" in front of a portrait of Mr. Ramoutar. The officers created a 'fake transfer order' addressed to senior officers throughout the service, in Mr. Ramoutar's name, listing his Regimental number as 666, the mark of the beast, permanently transferring him from the Prisons Service to Fyzabad, where Ramoutar lives. One senior prison source indicated that officers could face disciplinary action for their behavior, especially given the fact that at the time the video was recorded, Mr. Ramoutar was still head of the Prisons Service. "This is not good at all, and it sends the wrong message of insubordination, disrespect, and is a violation of the Prisons Service Act and Regulations and I trust that the top brass would deal with such incident decisively so as to send a clear message that such would not be tolerated under any circumstances," the source said. Attempts to reach acting Prisons Commissioner Carlos Corraspe for comment on the incident proved futile. Mr. Ramoutar retired from the Prisons Service with effect from 5th June 2024.