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IN 2018, a decision was taken by key agencies in the national security network, based on alarming intelligence, to extract high-risk inmates which both police and prison authorities described the most dangerous remandees from among other prisoners and isolate them to Building 13, at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.
But what was then touted as a major step to get a grasp on the criminal network which was still operating in jail spiralled out of control with inmates taking control of Building 13 and ordering the murders of prison officers, both senior and junior, paralysing the prison administration with fear and eventually into compliance.
In essence, a counter-measure to isolate and monitor the inmates backfired as the once warring rival gangs formed themselves into a powerful criminal syndicate, according to a senior intelligence officer, familiar with the operations and structure of criminal gangs, said.
Initially, several special security measures were implemented at Building 13 to prevent the smuggling of cellphones and other contraband items to these prisoners, a three-layered security checkpoint was set up comprising police officers, soldiers and prison officers who were rotated frequently to avoid familiarisation and opportunities for corruption.
In 2021, there were two significant changes in national security– Fitzgerald Hinds replaced Stuart Young as minister of national security and former CoP Griffith ensure came to an end. Hinds declined comment when contacted on July 26.
In a telephone interview on July 26, Griffith said he used funds from the police vote to install cameras and other things at Building 13 and they were monitored 24/7. He said they layers of security eliminated the trafficking of phones and other contraband.
However, after he left office prison and police admitted several contraband items were allowed in Building 13, including a hotplate for murder accused Philip "The Boss" Boodram and other luxuries.
Hits from behind bars
The October 2018 murder of Supt of Prisons Wayne Jackson, over his refusal to allow a meal of wild meat to be brought in for a football tournament, the murders of prison officers Trevor Serette in Valencia and Nigel Jones in Siparia, three days apart in July 2021, both of whom were assigned to Building 13, were all hits ordered from behind bars, according to both police and prison authorities.
The gun attack on deputy commissioner of prisons Sherwin Bruce on October 11, 2023, outside his home in Barataria was also seen as sending a message to the higher ranks of the service, commonly referred to as "green clothes," from inmates in Building 13, one senior prison officer, who recently retired said on the condition of anonymity.
Prison and police intelligence reports revealed that prisoners, who were once rivals, conspired together for a common cause and were plotting to unleash a reign of terror to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the July 27, 1990 attempted coup.
On July 18, based on a recommendation from CoP Allister Guevarro, armed with intelligence reports from various national security agencies, convinced Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General John Jeremie to use the biggest weapon in the State's arsenal, declare a state of emergency, to disrupt the nefarious plan.
Guevarro said based on intelligence inmates in Building 13 had formed an organised criminal syndicate and were preparing to carry out robberies, kidnappings, assassinations, including coordinated attacks on government, judicial, and law enforcement officials.
As a counter-measure, the inmates of Building 13 were "extracted" and relocated to secure facilities at the army base at Teteron Barracks and Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas on July 18.
Guevarro said the operation was necessary to disrupt the syndicate’s plans and safeguard national security.
[caption id="attachment_1168703" align="alignnone" width="576"] An assortment of cellphones and other contraband items seized at Building 13 by police and prison officers during a raid. - Photo courtesy Prison Service[/caption]
Elements of that plan began to roll out under the PNM when in the final days of December 2024, a state of emergency was declared to suppress what seemed to be an all-out-war among rival gangs which included the brazen daylight gun attack outside the Besson Street Police Station where the reputed leader of the Sixx gang was shot and one of his lieutenants was killed.
Hours later, special state prosecutor Randall Hector was murdered in front of his family as he left church on Stanmore Avenue, a hit, police said, that originated from Building 13.
Inmates not in cells
According to the former officer, inmates at Building 13 were seldom confined to their cells and were openly using cellphones in the presence of guards, smoking and even heating up food on a hot plate while watching sports on a 65-inch flat screen television, using play stations and playing Mine-craft.
Another former prison officer, who recently retired, said Building 13 was set up originally to be used for pre-release facility and had all the pre-release programmes like plumbing and electrical, to aid the successful release for people reintegrating into society.
During the tenure of and then national security minister Stuart Young, in 2018 a decision was taken to put all high-risk inmates in one place in an attempt to remove the influence of gang leaders from the general population, the officer said.
"Gang leaders’ influence was assessed. There are certain known gang leaders, and then there would also be people who have influence and were good at getting contraband. If you fell into one of those two categories, you went to Building 13. All the inmates who went to Building 13 when it changed to gang leaders had been in the institution for a long time. They were getting contraband from prison officers. It evolved later into inmates communicating outside and that included the use of drones," the former officer, who had been assigned to Building 13, said.
He said in the early days, inmates in Building 13 did not have any special privileges.
"All the factions were located in that building. The Muslims did have Eid celebrations with the Muslim representative of the prison. The Muslim community would send things for them for the Eid celebrations. Inmates in Building 13 were also allowed to participate in Father’s Day. All this was done in Building 13.
"TVs were allowed into the prisons in general, especially for things like World Cups, to boost morale. Initially there was one small TV in the dining area of Building 13. TVs were only placed in common areas – even in Building 13. With the TVs, we could control the programmes and have prison programmes played on the TV. They would record calypso competitions, past sporting events and replay them."
The former officer claimed under former prison commissioner Dennis Pulchan the television was introduced for inmates in Building 13.
Calls to Pulchan's cellphone were not answered on July 26. Calls to current Prisons Commissioner Carlos Corraspe also went unanswered.
Special security for inmates
He said additional security measures were taken to prevent the trafficking of contraband and all the food was prepared differently for Building 13.
"It came in boxes for security reasons. Boxes, rather than tin plates could be searched to make sure no contraband was coming from the kitchen for them.
"I don’t know how officers were chosen to work in Building 13. In its initial stages, it was effective. The police and defence force were working there. It was done covertly. There were over 100 inmates in individual cells allocated accordingly. Of course, there were multiple men in cells because of space. The allocation of who went into what cell was fluid. Inmates were switched between cells.
"All cells in every jail are locked. They would have come out in the day to wash clothes. When the shift changes, all inmates are locked inside of cells so the previous shift can give a proper count. Then the operation starts again."
The dynamics changed in Building 13, after the murders of prison officers Serette, outside his vegetable stall in Valencia, and Jones, who was shot dead while holding his daughter’s hand, in Siparia.
"Those two officers worked in Building 13. That dynamic struck fear in officers, and promoted officers’ inaction," the former officer said.
Another current officer assigned to Building 13 said prison officers were assigned to that high-risk as a form of punishment by seniors and often faced death threats from inmates.
 
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