By Robert A. Emmanuel
An inmate at His Majesty’s Prison shocked prison security staff after he willingly returned to his cell yesterday after escaping the institution hours earlier.
The incident has once again highlighted the prison’s persistent security issues.
According to Prison Superintendent Colonel Trevor Pennyfeather, the inmate Elijah John was noticed missing by staff late Tuesday evening.
“When he was found to be missing, a search was done of the entire prison and he was not here; he was later spotted outside of the prison, sometime after 3am,” he said.
John, who is serving a four-month sentence for illegal possession of ammunition, was found and chased by prison security but evaded capture.
Colonel Pennyfeather revealed that the prisoner was surprisingly found in his cell, after apparently returning of his own accord. Disciplinary action is yet to be determined, he said.
The prison boss, who recently took on the role, noted that the incident emphasised the major security challenges associated with the prison which were a long-standing issue for his predecessors.
“It was just up to [Tuesday] that I was discussing some immediate decision to be taken based upon my point paper to the Minister and to the Permanent Secretary which included some of those concerns,” he expressed.
The prisoner was confirmed to have escaped through a known breach in the facility’s perimeter.