The burnt-out room at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Ann where five wards were killed on May 22. Two wards subsequently died as a result of their injuries. - Contributed

There were not enough resources to pay attention to the problem of overcrowding at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre - so says Children's Advocate Mary Clarke.

"We focus on the areas with the greater problems," said Clarke, who resumed her testimony at the commission of enquiry into a May 22 fire at the St Ann institution.

She said her primary concern was ensuring that girls at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre and Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre were separated from grown-ups.

Clarke said her office got more "horror stories" from those institutions.

Overcrowding a problem

The children's advocate said the only problem she had with Armadale was overcrowding, as a number of girls were going into the correctional system without preparations being made for them.

While she was soft-spoken for most of her testimony, Clarke was obviously upset when the issue of overcrowding was brought up.

"Today, as we speak, there are 41 girls in Fort Augusta," she said, her voice rising.

She added that while the children were kept in separate holding areas and there was no overcrowding, they should not be held in the adult institutions. She said on a visit to Fort Augusta she realised that she had to go through many grilled doors to see the girls, and one of the wards expressed concern to her.

"Mrs Clarke, I have committed no offence. My mother brought me here for uncontrollable behaviour, and I am in prison," recalled Clarke.

Lack of resources

Regarding the resources at her office, Clarke said she has a staff of 17 and employs two investigators and two lawyers, and noted that her duties require she deal with issues surrounding children right across the island, including places of safety and juvenile correctional institutions.

Clarke also revealed that she has been using her private car to get around to business, as the agency's car had crashed.

Yesterday, Clarke's testimony took up the entire session as she spoke about several meetings that she had with personnel from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) regarding issues at Armadale.

On Wednesday, she noted that she had meetings regarding the overcrowding at Armadale in September 2007.

However, at yesterday's sitting Clarke noted that the issue was also discussed in January 2007 with several top officials in DCS, including Major Richard Reese, then commissioner of corrections, June Spence-Jarrett, then deputy commissioner of corrections, and Everton Hesson, the director of juvenile services.

Spence-Jarrett, who is now commissioner of corrections, testifies today.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com