Inhumane state of Mandeville lock-up shocking, says custos

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

DR GILBERT Allen, custos of Manchester, says he is alarmed by the conditions at the Mandeville police lock-up, where 89 detainees were being held in an area built to accommodate 30 people.

Allen told The Gleaner that he visited the lock-up on Monday and was appalled at the "inhumane" conditions at the facility. He said the situation needed immediate attention and he would be submitting a full report to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen by next week.

The custos said he also observed roaches together with the inmates in the tight space.

In the meantime, police personnel told The Gleaner that they, too, were concerned about the situation, as it poses a threat to the safety of the detainees, as well as employees. They said the overpopulation presented the risk of a jailbreak or disease outbreak.

George Sloley, the chief health inspector for Manchester, said he, too, visited the Mandeville Police Station and was appalled at the conditions under which the inmates were being held.

He said that at the time of his visit, the cells were "dark and hot", with poor ventilation. He, like Custos Allen, found roaches among the remandees. He said he did not order the facility closed because the police said they had nowhere else to house the inmates.

- Angelo Lawrence