prison

Relatives of a 69-year-old grandmother jailed, are pleading for compassion after she was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possession of a loaded firearm found in her purse at the Nassau Cruise Port.

Mary Robinson, of Oklahoma, was arrested last Tuesday while attempting to board the Liberty of the Seas. Security officers discovered a loaded .380 pistol inside her handbag, a weapon her family says she simply forgot was there.

“I’m asking anyone or everyone to help out if they can. I know holidays are so close but if anyone can help we would appreciate it so much,” her grand daughter Gracie Exendine pleaded.

Robinson, who was traveling with her 12-year-old grandson, told authorities she normally carries the gun for personal protection at home and leaves it in her vehicle before travel. But, according to relatives, this time she forgot it was still in her purse.

After she was unable to pay the $8,000 fine, she was taken to the Bahamas Department of Corrections last Thursday to begin a two-year sentence.

Gracie launched a GoFundMe campaign, writing that Robinson “needs a miracle” and begging for help to bring her home in time for the Christmas holidays. The campaign has since raised more than $12,000.

According to the Nassau Guardian, Robinson’s attorney, Bjorn Ferguson, argued in court that she has “a touch of dementia” and struggled during her initial detention, claiming she “had to contend with very aggressive rats” at the Central Police Station.

He also told the court that Robinson was legally licensed to carry the weapon in the United States and that the gun had been a gift given to her more than 50 years ago. Ferguson says the incident was an honest mistake.

Her relatives say they are desperate to get her home.

Four days since his recapture, escaped inmate Winston Walker is now in maximum security, under 24-hour watch at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

Walker who was on remand, escaped the facility on Wednesday, and after a manhunt for the 30-year-old Jamaican national, he was found on a property in the Sea Breeze area.

Walker, accused of attempted murder, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, is now on lockdown for 24 hours,  each day of the week, to prevent another escape.

A prison officer who did not wish to be identified said Walker’s escape came after four weeks of intense training in inmate escape prevention.

But Walker escaped nonetheless when he was permitted to go to the Medical Department during which, a fight escalated in the upstairs area of the facility. Walker used the distraction to escape, jumping over a wall at the back of the prison.

According to reports, other inmates watching did not alert authorities, but only shouted, “Freedom, freedom, freedom.”

Walker escaped Wednesday afternoon and was captured at 1 am on Thursday when officers from Operation Ceasefire, responded to a call about ”a prowler” on a property in the area.

Authorities at the prison have since placed locks on the back gate of the facility as an added measure to prevent escapes.

Commissioner of Corrections Charles Murphy defended the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services position after reports circulated social media regarding uproar at the facility by inmates claiming mistreatment.

In a press statement, Murphy said the claims of mistreatment are untrue.

“I categorically deny the claim that inmates are treated unfairly and inhumanely while incarcerated at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.”

Why it matters

Inmates at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services are heard in a voice note demanding the resignation of Murphy while accusing him of denying them pure water, food visitation and the ability to smoke.

Reports are that prison officers were also assaulted by inmates who doused them with urine and feces because their demands were not met.

What Commissioner Murphy Says

Murphy says inmates are allowed three meals daily. He added that inmates have been smoking cigarettes in a no-smoking zone which has irritated other inmates who are non-smokers.

“I wish to advise the general public that inmates are allowed three meals per day, daily exercise, and showers in accordance with the Human Rights Convention, standard minimum treatment of offenders, and the Correctional Service Act 2014.

“Further, the southern wing of the Maximum Security Housing Unit has just been recently renovated as part of our improvement project.

“This area is designated as a NO SMOKING ZONE to which all inmates placed in that housing unit are aware. It was brought to my attention that inmates are smoking in the unit which created a problem for inmates who do not smoke.

“Inmates were also found damaging the walls and cell doors in the newly renovated unit with the cigarettes. They have been warned to discontinue this practice many times to no avail.”

Murphy said, as a result, his administration had taken the position to discontinue the issuance of cigarettes to preserve the health and safety of all inmates and to protect the infrastructure within Maximum Security and the interest of the general public.

A 25-year-old woman faced the court today and pleaded guilty to posing as a lawyer to smuggle drugs into the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

Warnika Russell of Zion Boulevard appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with two counts of evading the requirements of the law by having and uttering a forged document and two counts of possession of Indian Hemp with the intention to supply.

Russell was sentenced to 1 year and three months in prison.

What happened?

• Russell presented the Bar Association identification to guards, in the name of a professional lawyer, on Friday.
• Russell was visiting her boyfriend, Stephen Greene who is serving a 15-year sentence for armed robbery.
• Guards became suspicious and called the police when they realized the illegitimacy of the identification.
• It was discovered Russell had visited the prison eleven other times using the ID of a lawyer to gain access to the prison and deliver contraband items like drugs and cellphones.
• Police found 2.6 pounds of drugs on Russell attached to her abdomen.
• Russell said she was promised three-thousand dollars to deliver the drugs to Greene.

Featured Image: EWN

Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said nearly 60 prisoners could be released early from the Bahamas Department of Corrections as COVID-19 cases climb exponentially in New Providence.

“To date, the Committee has recommended for approval, by the Governor-General, the release of 57 persons and others are currently being reviewed and considered for the same,” he said.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Health Organisation, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have jointly encouraged institutions of detention around the globe to consider the release of inmates, as COVID-19 undermines hygiene, health and safety due to social distancing limitations.

Why it matters

The Bahamas Department of Corrections has an inmate population of 1,489, with many crammed in small spaces, sharing cells, showers and toilet spaces, making them susceptible to the virus.

The cramped spaces make it impossible to social distance, poor hygiene exists and like in many prisons, hand sanitizers are not permitted as they can be used to brew alcoholic drinks.

This is a big move. Who will be released?

The Prerogative Board of Mercy Committee has begun reviewing the files of inmates to determine who would be considered high-risk for contracting the virus.

The board is considering the following people for release:

• the elderly
• people with comorbidity
• people who have completed more than half of their sentences with good behavior
• people sentenced for minor, non-violent offenses that don’t compromise public safety

The virus may be rising within the prison. Reported COVID-19 prison statistics

There are two confirmed positive cases of the virus which represent 0.1 percent of the total inmate population.

• The first case was recorded in August, five months after the first case was recorded in the Bahamas. The inmate contracted the virus while receiving medical care for an unrelated illness outside of the prison.
• The second reported case is a  male inmate who tested positive on September 23rd.