Ganja in the prison ‘white house’

Four ounces of marijuana was found Friday in the kitchen of the prison’s administrative office, where the director’s office is located at Her Majesty’s Prison at Northward. 

The prison’s Deputy Director Daniel Greaves explained the circumstances surrounding the incident in an exclusive interview with the Caymanian Compass. 

Mr. Greaves said he was working late in the office, which he shares with Prison Director Dwight Scott, known as the “White House.” He said, “I decided to go into the kitchen and upon doing so I saw a large garbage box that holds multiple garbage bags. Upon inspecting the package, I found three packages of ganga, which contained some four ounces of the drug.” 

The deputy director said a trustee prisoner who cleans the office is the prime suspect in the drugs being placed in the office. 

“We asked him not to come out the next day. The drugs were not found in possession and so he has not been charged. However, we are currently in the process of doing some forensic investigations with the assistance of the police,” said Mr. Greaves, who added that the prisoner has implicated another inmate. 

“I am surprised that this is news,” said Mr. Greaves, who also agreed that most incidents of drugs being found at the prison did not occur inside the administrative office. He said this was the first time drugs had been found in that part of the prison. However, he said he could say with certainty that the drugs did not belong to anyone in the office and that the prison facility as a whole was under siege by smugglers and inundated with attempts to smuggle in drugs.  

“Wherever there are prisoners anything can happen. This might not have belonged to that particular prisoner, but it seems he was the pickup man,” Mr. Greaves said. 

He said two weeks ago prisoners were at the “White House” fixing the air conditioning, but they were under supervision.  

“This is a breach of trust but unfortunately this kind of activity is not unusual for the prisoners,” he said. 

There have been at least three incidents of inmates from Northward Prison being found to have marijuana in their systems during court proceedings in recent weeks. 

Mr. Greaves said officials at the facility are speaking with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service about deterrence and securing the boundaries of the prison, where three pounds of ganga were found Monday. 

Just last year, during a five-day period, prison staff collected more than three pounds of ganja and four bottles of rum after the contraband was allegedly tossed over the prison’s walls.  

At the time, Prison Training and Information Officer Ricardo Lashley said, “The Prison Service is resolute in its attempt to thwart individuals who are making concerted efforts to get drugs in the establishment. These individuals must be reminded that they are putting themselves at risk, with the passage of legislation that allows for persons caught smuggling or attempting to smuggle contraband can face up to three years imprisonment and fine up to $15,000 or both.” Under the new law, more clear terms for the word ‘smuggling’ have been inserted into the Prisons Law.  

It states that, “Any person who a. brings throws or in any manner introduces or conveys into any prison; b. conveys to any prisoner while in custody outside of a prison; c. with the intent that it shall come into the possession of a prisoner, deposits outside of a prison; or d. carries out of any prison, an article or thing, unless he is authorised to do so by or under this law or by the director, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $15,000 and to imprisonment not exceeding three years, or to both such fine and imprisonment.”