CM 61

So this is what Trinidad & Tobago has come to. All I am waiting to hear now is about the wireless broadband service accessible from Block J, Cell 5 Golden Grove Prison, Arouca, where CellMate 23561 was reprimanded by Prison Officers after a package arrived at the towering gates of our Maximum Security Prison, bearing a cheque book, a pack of ‘red box’, six unmarked bullets, one 9mm, a tightly packed ten-piece and a ‘get out of jail slap-on-the-back-note’ purchased online with a credit card issued to a Red House regular tenant. The laptop used was apparently not discovered by security detail, as “CM 61” successfully retrieved it from a gâteau baked by his granny.

Imagine it is public knowledge that inmates are in possession of cell phones. I find this incredulous, even more so that it is treated as such a blasé issue by our “homeland security” (to contribute to the already illicit amercanisation). Moreover, it takes a detailed plan of action by the Prison Authorities, injuring several, possibly not reporting the countless others who were not taken to POS General and thus not logged on the official records, to weed out these phones. How are they recharging these phones anyway? Honestly, what does this say about the accepted lack of responsible prison security, the obvious racketeering going on and the absolutely appalling snail’s pace of a response by Mr Rougier and his team of ‘law enforcers’. What checks and balances were carried out on his own staff to ensure that the ones dealin’ the blows weren’t the same ones dealin’ the prison contraband? Is it not necessary for the already petrified public to be duly informed of the processes involved in this most monumental of ‘prison purges’? How are we to know how to rate your performance, Mr Rougier, if you keep all the juicy secrets to yourself? I’ll tell you what, the fact that it has actually come to this embarrassing, farcical performance by yourself and the men you involve with their rubber bullets shows that you are ready to be ushered out of your seat.

How is it, that we have reporters receiving calls from inmates and not immediately reporting these unlawful acts to responsible authorities? Whose freedoms are they protecting, press or public? Or is that these phone calls are reported but again, somewhere along the workflow chain, the information gets lost so as to conceal any wrong-doing in the first place? Journalists have a responsibility to uphold the simple freedom of accessible information and opinion, but I think in the public’s best interest and given the delinquent nature of our ‘wardens’, WE, from editor to carpenter, should all be working hand in hand to secure our backyards, our neighbours’ backyards and the sanctity of our sinking island.

Whilst we sit idly by and let the politicians ramble on, scuffle like cats in their parliamentary cages, denounce each other, insult the integrity of our Motherland by churning out desultory propaganda, in this day and age where Trinbagonians just want respect, some peace of mind, to relax in their porch listening to some Scrunter begging for some ‘pork’, the country’s infrastructure is crumbling beneath us, hastened by the neglect of the elected guardians, all those untrustworthy talkers milking our coffers, whilst the kids don’t have access to pipe borne water after all the floods, the latest is that “CM 61” received another online-purchase delivery, this time a scroll of pardon by Uncle Max for agreeing to be a state witness in the case against those prison perpetrators. Sad.