By: Nyima Sillah
An insider in Mile II Prison has informed this medium that Mile II is running out of hands (manpower) due to hard jobs and a lack of motivation from the senior staff among other factors.
Reaching out to this medium recently, the insider alleged that Mile II Prison in Jeshwang doesn’t have enough staff due to hard jobs. He added that the Prison job is with a lot of sacrifices and the senior staff are not motivating the young ones.
“Forms are out but they don’t have a sufficient number of trainees to recruit. We are the second to last batch and our figure was 250 but apart from that batch, the prison recruits less than 100 trainees,” the source claimed.
According to this close source to the prison, when the recent escape happened the senior staff were the ones that came to work due to a lack of human resources. Adding, “Most of the trainees ran away during or after training which makes the institution handicapped.
“We stay awake until midnight and then divide the team into two so that one team can relax till 3:00 am and later the second team will exchange with the first team because there is no CCTV camera,” the source explained.
More so, the source added that some people are working in that institution for 10 years without going on leave because there are not enough staff and others don’t still get the promotion they deserve.
Meanwhile, Prison PRO, Superintendent Modou Lamin Ceesay, debunked the allegation saying all the information is false.
“Out of manpower applies to every service institution. No security sector in this country will tell you it has a full capacity of manpower we all have short of hands (manpower) and it is a result of many factors. Some have gone on retirement, some left voluntarily, and some leave on medical grounds, others traveled. This is obvious and it is across the board so why prison specifically?” he asked rhetorically.
He explained that the issue of Senior Officers reporting to work is the norm since the olden days. He added that in every prison, the senior officer has to be on duty and this is in rotational forms in which others supervise and monitor the young ones.
“The issue of recruitment, the police PIU has recruited twice, and we are now recruiting, too, what is special about that? All the alleged information is not true. It is obvious that prison officers seek a voluntary retirement and go to other services likewise other services who also join the prison.” PRO Ceesay stressed.