THE BARBADOS ASSOCIATION of Retired Prison Officers (BARPO) has dismissed claims that it has been locked out from Glendairy, the former prison at Station Hill, St Michael.
President Marc Phillips said a report which appeared in the last SUNDAY SUN was erroneous.
“Cordial relations have always been established between BARPO, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the office of the superintendents of prisons at HMP Dodds. In no way can the closing of Glendairy be deemed as disrespectful, as we were well informed before the decommissioning of the pending closure,” Phillips told the MIDWEEK NATION.
Sunday’s report had indicated that BARPO members had been unable to gain access to the former jailhouse where they had been holding meetings for the past three years. It also reported that an official at HMP Dodds had ordered that Glendairy be locked.
However, Phillips said the report gave the impression that BARPO had grievances with the authorities.
“The executive committee of BARPO wishes to disassociate itself from the article . . . BARPO has indeed sent correspondence to both the ministries of Home Affairs and Housing, Land and Rural Development as we have been advised to do and are currently awaiting replies from them.” (TS)
