Superintendent of Prisons De Carlo Payne is renewing a call for a dedicated medical clinic at Dodds Prisons, as authorities face mounting public scrutiny following the May 2 escape of convicted murderer Kishon Thomas from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
While refusing to comment directly on the escape due to an ongoing investigation, Payne acknowledged that a fully equipped medical facility within the St Philip jail could significantly reduce the risks posed by transporting inmates – particularly high-risk offenders – for medical treatment off site.
“If we have a possibility and we can reduce persons going on the outside, that in itself will lessen the security risk,” he told the DAILY NATION yesterday.
His comments come amid public concern about a string of inmate escapes from the custody of prison officers while receiving medical care at the QEH. These incidents have become a pattern, with Thomas’ escape marking the third such occurrence in less than a year.
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