Trinidad Guardian – Just hours after government intelligence uncovered a plot to assassinate state officials from within prison walls, former prisons commissioner Gerard Wilson warned that cell phone smuggling remains the system’s biggest challenge.
He said as long as inmates have access to mobile phones, no one is safe—not officers, not rivals, not even high-ranking officials.
“It always happens,” Wilson said. “Once offenders get access to cellphones, there will be constant communication between persons inside and outside of prison. And that is where the problem lies.”
His comments came shortly after the UNC Government declared a State of Emergency (SoE) in response to the assassination plot, which had been orchestrated from within the prison system.
“It always happens. You have to make an assessment in terms of security. You have to find your target. Depending on where the threat is, they may do some configuration with the inmates to ensure that it would be easier to manage it,” Wilson said.
On Friday, the government decided to relocate some inmates to military sites in Chaguaramas. Wilson said such moves help ensure public safety.
In 2023, the prison confiscated 411 cellphones, according to then-national security minister Fitzgerald Hinds. It was also reported that 20 contract killings were ordered on prisoners for that year.
Over the years, dozens of prison officers have been wounded and gunned down, Wilson said.
Now serving as corporate services manager at Vision on Mission, Wilson reflected on his tenure as commissioner. He said the Inter-Agency Task Force and the T&T Prisons Service had worked together to prevent cellphones and illicit items from entering prisons, particularly where high-profile inmates were held.
He recalled that the prevention system was once rigid and successful. Although that method remains in use today, Wilson said the Ministry of Homeland Security may need to reassess its approach moving forward.
Asked about the effectiveness of the jammers and grabbers—tools intended to block prisoners from using cellphones—Wilson said, “That’s a particular issue that has haunted us all the time. It’s all about technology. And I keep saying, once you can make it, you can break it.”
In response to the plot, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) issued a statement questioning whether the jammers are actually working or merely for show, given that inmates continue to use phones.
“Yet, every day our officers confiscate mobile phones from inmates … phones that are clearly active and functioning. So, who is really holding the switch? The silence of these questions is deafening,” the POA statement read.
Wilson said artificial intelligence, Google, and other advancements have enabled tech-savvy prisoners to stay ahead.
“They (inmates) find clever ways of still getting the service based on what type of phones or who is the provider of the service. You have AI, you have so many things you have to contend with. They are very clever coming into the system. Some of them are versed in technology. They know how to mobilise certain things. So the government has to move a step ahead. They have to upgrade and plan.”
Wilson also recalled incidents of drones dropping contraband into prisons—something the POA said continues today.
Wilson said the problem of prison officers smuggling contraband into facilities stems from two main factors: money and fear.
Firstly, it’s a lucrative business for those seeking extra income. Secondly, some officers engage in trafficking due to threats and intimidation.
“You have those (prison officers) who would collect items from persons outside because they fear for their lives … they live in at-risk communities. That creates the trafficking.”
During his tenure, Wilson said at least a dozen officers were charged with trafficking. He noted that the problem has since worsened.
Guardian Media reached out to Acting Prisons Commissioner Carlos Corraspe, but he did not respond.
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