The Prison Service has been so crippled by industrial action that Prison Commissioner Edward Dyer and his top officers were forced to escort suspects to Supreme Court yesterday.

A sick-out at all three prison facilities left the service desperately short of staff.

A meeting yesterday between the Prison Officers Association and the Labour Relations Office failed to resolve the dispute about overcrowding and staff shortages.

The sick-out took its toll yesterday when Mr. Dyer, Assistant Prison Commissioner Randall Woolridge, and Deputy Prison Commissioner Marvin Trott had to escort prisoners to court.

Mr. Dyer sat in the dock with Jerome Dublin, who was jailed for eight years for importing crack cocaine and cannabis.

Mr. Woolridge and Mr. Trott later escorted Dublin as he was led away to Westgate Correctional Facility to begin his sentence.

Earlier, Mr. Woolridge led a man accused of incest into the dock, another charged with break-ins and forgeries, and Heman Viera, who was jailed for 24 years for serious sexual assault.

Mr. Dyer refused to comment yesterday, and would only say: "I'm escorting, that's all.'' Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox told The Royal Gazette : "It's not a welcome scenario, but needs must.

"If we have industrial action, even if we may call it unofficial action, it puts a strain on staffing levels and we are using senior officers in hitherto unanticipated roles, but certain things have to be done.

"We can't have prisoners not going to court, it is their constitutional right. Someone has to do it, and if people are not carrying out their proper functions, the leadership is filling in the gap.'' Ms Cox said she was considering some options -- which she would not disclose -- for dealing with the problem, but warned that there would be no quick solution to the prison issue.

In the past, Government has drafted in Police officers to escort prisoners when prison officers took industrial action.

"The Labour Relations Officer has met with the prison officers today and the dispute is not resolved,'' she added.

"I am looking at a number of options, but there are still issues that require resolving, but I don't see a quick fix.

Prison officers sick-out "Certain things were advertised (in the Throne Speech) on Friday but there is no instant fix. I wish I could say everything was rosy, but it's not.

"There are some options being explored, but I can't wave a magic wand, it's not going to happen that way.

"We can try to alleviate the situation, and hopefully people will recognise that something is being done, but we have to be realistic.

"There was some kind of sick-out last Friday, but some shifts came in over the weekend.

"There seems to be people calling in sick and the timing seems to be extraordinarily coincidental. If people come in with doctors' certificates I can't say it's an orchestrated campaign, but it seems to be.'' A prison staff source told The Royal Gazette : "The industrial action is taking place at all three facilities.

"Work release at the Prison Farm has stopped. No-one is going out. The industrial action will continue until such time as it is effective and in the future we will take whatever steps are necessary.

"We've had enough, and the only way to get attention is to bring the prison to a standstill.''