Tendai Franklyn-Brown, Staff Reporter

People's National Party (PNP) spokesman on national security, Dr Peter Phillips, has raised grave concerns about the escape of five prisoners within a week from the Horizon Adult Remand Centre on Spanish Town Road, St Andrew.

Phillips says decisive action is needed to cauterise what could become a troubling trend. Yesterday he issued a call to the minister of national security and the Department of Correctional Services to expedite the probe into the escape of the five prisoners. He wants the findings to be made public.

The opposition spokesman says the escape of the prisoners was "particularly worrying" in light of the fact that the Horizon Adult Remand facility is equipped with some of the most modern state-of-the-art security mechanisms to prevent such occurrences.

Several breaches

Head of the Correctional Services, Major Richard Reese, told The Sunday Gleaner that there were several breaches of procedures, including two unmanned access points, which led to the escape of the convicts. He said the prison authorities have commenced immediate repairs and have taken corrective measures to enhance security at the facility.

"We have increased the numbers of persons deployed there and we have temporarily suspended visits except from human rights representatives and attorneys," Reese disclosed.

He added: "Statements are being collected to confirm the time of escape, which will determine the shift that was responsible, because we recognise the persons were discovered in the morning. But they could have been missing from the early-night shift (4:30-11:30 p.m.). We are doing a board of enquiry to inform management of the immediate corrective action necessary; and with the police, we are doing a criminal investigation."

Yesterday, the police said they were hotly pursuing the three prisoners who had escaped. On the run are Michael Gayle 27, known as 'Tipalee' and 'Paul' of Condran Avenue, Spanish Town, St Catherine; Omar Campbell, 30, otherwise known as 'Jay' and 'Damien Dennis' of Dacosta Drive, Mandeville, Manchester; and Wayne Dawson, 39, known as 'Bones', of Ward Avenue, Kingston 11.