By LR LiburdThe St. Kitts-Nevis Observer
Two inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) were on Thursday (Apr. 21) caught attempted to smuggle a number of prohibited items into the correctional facility on Cayon Street, Basseterre, St. Kitts.
The two inmates, Travis ‘Shaggy’ Clarke of Newcastle and Seleam Chiverton of Pond Hill, were charged with possession of cannabis with intent to supply, conveying tobacco into Her Majesty’s Prison and conveying other prohibited articles including cellular phones, portable chargers and lighters.
According to a Senior Warden, the two inmates were among a group of prisoners tasked to complete a work assignment outside of the facility.
“However, on their return, vigilant officers at the entrance to the prison conducted a search of their person and found the prohibited items,” the Warden said.
He also said that Clarke is serving a six-year sentence and Chiverton is serving eight.
Chiverton was charged with armed robbery, which was committed on April 4, 2013 in Clay Ghaut, Nevis, while Clarke had a similar charge which was committed on September 20, 2014 in Newcastle.
This is not the first time inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison were caught with contraband items.
Since his appointment as Superintendent of Prisons, former politician Junie ‘Scrape’ Hodge had imposed a 21-day lockdown of the facility in February this year, where detailed searches were conducted and a large number of contraband items were reportedly discovered within the concrete walls, wooden receptacles and decks of playing cards, as well as in rubber slippers (draggers).
Among the 250-plus prohibited items found were 125 cellular phones, over eight pounds of cannabis, 160 lighters and a quantity of alcohol in a plastic bottle.
Detailed searches were also conducted by Hodge’s predecessor, Franklyn ‘Weatherman’ Dorset.
One such search was done in collaboration with members of the Defence Force and the Special Services Unit in August 2011 and it was reported that they unearthed a Laptop, improvised weapons, cellular phones and a quantity of cannabis.
Since heading HMP, it was reported that Hodge had beefed-up security, including the replacement of non-functioning closed-circuit television (CCTV), and he has ensured that training is ongoing.
