Prison Officers' Association (POA) officials are hopeful of a meeting with Government “within the next few days”, as they seek to deal with overcrowding at Westgate.

Around 100 officers attended a meeting at the BIU building yesterday to discuss the health and safety problems arising from the West End prison's full capacity and to put together a package of demands to put to Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton.

Further strike action, however, was not on the agenda during the morning meeting, POA chairman Michael Tuzo told The Royal Gazette.

“The meeting was very well attended and went very well,” he said.

“We were there to put together viable solutions to the overcrowding situation at Westgate and the Prison Farm to put to Government. It was a very constructive meeting and a number of ideas were put forward.”

Although he said a repeat of the industrial action taken in April to try and oust Prison Commissioner John Prescod was not discussed, the topic of Mr. Prescod's reign was raised.

“That subject did come up,” he said. “A lack of leadership and direction by the Commissioner is not helping us solve these problems.”

Mr. Tuzo said the Westgate capacity had been reached with all 208 cells occupied, meaning the 12 cells set aside for segregating prisoners for administrative or security reasons are no longer available for their proper purpose.

But, despite the prison being full, the number of officers working there has fallen with 24 staff leaving since January, with 16 alone resigning in the past three months - eight from Westgate - mostly due to “low morale and frustration”.

“There is a health and safety aspect to this staff shortage that was discussed at length,” added Mr. Tuzo.

“When prison staff are working non-stop, doing lots of overtime to cover for the gaps in the rota, security levels go down, tolerance goes down and there is good chance these individuals will also get sick.”

He also claimed that due to a lack of Government funding, Westgate was not fulfilling its function as a correctional facility offering rehabilitation to inmates.

“It is just a warehouse, a lock-up, with people sitting around all day twiddling their thumbs. All the talk of funding programmes for prisoners hasn't really materialised from day one, when Westgate was commissioned back in 1994,” he added.

“The inmates aren't getting the level of service they should.”

POA spokesperson Russ Ford added: “As a responsible and caring organisation, we could not sit idly by and witness the lack of leadership demonstrated by our administration, mainly the Commissioner of Corrections Mr. Prescod.

“We also take this opportunity to salute the dedicated and professional men and women of the Department of Corrections who have remained in spite of the intolerable and unbearable conditions facing them. Special thanks also to their families who fret daily over their health and safety.”