~ Prisonsoners now placed on lockdown due to Thursday night action, Candidate Minister of Justice in meeting with prison management.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The prisoners at the Pointe Blanche Prison continue with their strike action this evening as they refuse to enter their cells and police are at the location trying to calm the prisoners down and close them in.
SMN News understands the inmates association met with representatives of the justice ministry and a verbal agreement was made to allow the prisoners to form an association. However, the prisoners want a short term plan on paper. According to information SMN News received is that the prisoners have had enough with the verbal agreements they have had. The prisoners said they need security since their life is at stake.
SMN News also received photos showing prisoners getting skin rashes due to the unsanitary conditions at the Pointe Blanche.
Prisoners are placed on lockdown because of last night's strike. This is against the law!
and YET the government is not doing anything!
Normally the prison cells are opened at 7.30 and the inmates receive breakfast around 7.45. Up until now the inmates haven’t received breakfast.
Some inmates are diabetes and need to take their medicine at a certain time. They are starving. This is how they are being treated because they decided to execute their rights.
Other inmates don’t have a shower in their cell and need to shower elsewhere. The director of the prison has decided not to feed the inmates. The situation is getting worse and worse.
The inmates want answers and requested a meeting with the director but he is refusing. The inmates are requesting the government for help! Based on what law the director decided this?
The inmates are requesting the Minister of Justice and Prime Minister to come and talk to them today! This is unacceptable.
SMN News learned moments ago that the candidate Minister of Justice Egbert Jurendy Doran is currently in a meeting with the management of Pointe Blanche Prison. While details of the meeting are not known indications are that the candidate Minister is trying to gather information on the current uproar at the Prison and to find possible solutions.
