Monday, August 13, 2018
Monday evening UPDATE: According to police, just two of the escaped inmates remain on the run.
9.30am UPDATE: After another escaped inmate was handed over to police by family members last night, the number still on the run stands at three.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THIRTEEN juvenile inmates escaped Simpson Penn Centre for Boys after gaining access to the building’s ceiling on Saturday night, with four of them remaining on the run up to press time last night.
The boys are between 15 and 17, The Tribune was told.
Chief Superintendent of Police Clayton Fernander said the boys were unarmed and no one had been hurt during the escape. The teens reportedly attempted to assimilate within a crowd celebrating Fox Hill Day.
Police said in a statement: “According to reports, shortly before 10pm, a supervisor on duty was alerted by noise coming from one of the colleges. Upon making checks, he discovered an opening in the roof and a number of inmates were missing. Officers responded to the Fox Hill area, where they captured eight of the inmates and returned them to the school.”
When contacted, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell said the “ceiling of the building in question is an open ceiling.”
“Once they got into the ceiling, that would give them access through the entire building,” Mr Campbell said, telling The Tribune four of them remained at large yesterday.
He said family and friends harbouring the missing boys should know it is an offence to do so.
He said officials this week will examine the facility with a view to implementing necessary security measures.
“Moving forward, I will take advantage of my personal security background and I will use the assistance of the police force and other security forces that have a vested interest in this,” the former police officer said.
Mr Campbell said he is pleased the incident has so far resulted in no harm to anyone.
“I’m extremely happy about that,” he said.
“The boys who were brought back while we were there, EMS was on the scene and they assisted with checking them out and ensuring they didn’t have any health issue. A parent brought back one of his sons, so he too should be commended. I’m trusting parents of the other four will take that same example.”
Escapes from the juvenile detention facility are not uncommon. In 2011, five boys escaped on a Saturday evening. Less than a year later, seven inmates escaped on a Sunday.
At the time, then Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin spoke of the “lapses in security initiatives” at the facility.
The Tribune understands that although not always reported to the public, one or two youth occasionally escape from the school.
Problems have also occurred at the Williamae Pratt Centre for Girls over the years, the most infamous of which was a deadly fire in 2003 that led to the death of two girls when an escape attempt went wrong.
Comments
rawbahamian says...
After being caught, these inmates should be slam dunked in jail so they get a taste of what real incarceration is all about !
Posted 12 August 2018, 11:46 a.m. Suggest removal
EasternGate says...
Want to play man.....put them with man at Fox Hill
Posted 12 August 2018, 1:11 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
It is the nature of any caged animal to try escape. And putting young troublesome children with harden criminals will prove to be more detrimental. Grab a stash of tamarind switches and wale dey ass until they can’t sit down. And every time they see tamarind tree they go make sure the doors lock.
Posted 12 August 2018, 2:05 p.m. Suggest removal
rawbahamian says...
John, as ultrustic as your suggestion sounds, that will not work with criminals in training. They need to be sent to do hard labour tasks like cleaning grafitti off of buildings with a tooth brush, sweeping the beaches with a hair brush, emptying swimming pools with a teaspoon, painting schools with a makeup brush, washing ALL government vehicles with a dishwashing sponge, cleaning all garbage off the streets, weeding all public parks with a butter knife, trimming all tree limbs from around power lines, then maybe just maybe they will understand discipline, responsibility and positivity to make them better human beings !
Posted 12 August 2018, 3:36 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
Dese inmates has demonstrated the following:-
1.Extreme High intelligence....
2. Creativity....
3.Teamwork....
4.Highly Disciplined...
5.Innovatoon in using scarce resources to get the job done....
6.Determination amd drive.....
7.High level of Time Management skills.....
8. Coordinated a number of differing tasks efficiently..
9. Technical skills to analyze different structural areas ...guard shifts..determine the best area to efficiently and effectly use .....
10. Long range planning that after escaping where they will go....so far 5 members are still at large and future capture will conform long range planning skills....so far...
They have shown how a highly disciplined unit of 13 prsons can work as a team to accomplish a task without anyone who would have been exceptionally rewarddd for giving hints, clues signals to reveal the plan and effectively carrying it out
High level of intelligence to plan among near impossible chance of finding possible structural defect to use as escape route.....obtaining and utilizing suitableb tools in controlled environment where tools for escape should not ne easily avvailable.......timing was excelllent in highly controlled prison like monitoring cpnditoons with trained guards skilled at monitoring.....13 members escaping and still 5 at large where every member past the member exponentially increases the odds......
In practical reality.....dese inmates are above the d grade intelligence of dere public keepers, guards, administtators, govt administration personel...... paid by taxpayers money to do dere job of running this national detention facility...!!!!
Posted 12 August 2018, 5:23 p.m. Suggest removal
UserOne says...
Indeed. Their skills need to be put to good use!
Posted 12 August 2018, 6:29 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
I'm sorry but I just have to lol..
"*Goats and Sheep Destined for Slaughter Escape New Jersey Auction, Make a Run for It*" -inside edition.com
Posted 12 August 2018, 10:51 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
Movie rights.....mass escape....planning....this is an obvious movie....boys locked away....cannot deal with conditions....could have person story of...one or a number of boys ....have dere own story.....needing to ecape....need to .....see...visit....
This is a money money maker ....employ Bahamians...hundreds....further expand local film industry....
Posted 12 August 2018, 8:11 p.m. Suggest removal
Porcupine says...
The comments here are a sad, but predictable reflection of why our society is the way it is.
Grade: D- for using real intelligence to make this a better place.
Posted 13 August 2018, 6:37 a.m. Suggest removal
Sickened says...
Agreed. The five who are still at large need to be culled as they are too intelligent for our society. They have gamed our system for their own amelioration and will most likely become the worst of the worst i.e. numbers bosses.
Posted 13 August 2018, 8:58 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Hmm I thought it was hilarious when bogart gave the episode about how the breakout proved how intelligent these boys were and all that ran across my mind was the story on how the goats made a run for it last week. Dark humor I guess..but hilarious
Posted 13 August 2018, 7:29 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
Acccomplishment of past inmate of Simpson Penn a few are:-
1. Attorney General of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
2. Minister of Education Science and Technology, Bahamas
3. Chairman Caribbean Financial Action Task Force
4. Cabinet Minister former
5. Elected Member of Parliament
6. Lawyer, practicing, Bahamas, Ney York, New Jersey, District of Colu,bia...etc
7. Chairman Council of College pf the Bahamas
8. Author
9. Owner Partner of Law Firm
10. Person who asked former Prime Minister Hon . Perry Christie to resign......
Posted 13 August 2018, 10:50 a.m. Suggest removal
Well_mudda_take_sic says...
Right....and today Alfred Sears and the numbers bosses are inseparable.
Posted 13 August 2018, 4 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
And so what about the baggage handler who stole the 76 seater turbo prob ( similar to what Bahamasair flies) took the plane airborne, and put on an hour long air show which included flying the plane in loops and upside down. Then after apologizing to the people who he felt ‘would be highly disappointing in his actions’ , and after speculating that he will spend the rest of his life in jail for what he had done, (he was 29) he took the plane over an isolated island 40 miles from the airport, took a nosedive and crashed the plane directly into the ground and killing only himself in the fiery crash. He started out taking the plane on a joyride. Then he asked over the planes radio if they thought his flying skills could get him a job as a pilot. He described himsyas a disturbed guy ‘who only just now realize he had some screws loose.’
Posted 13 August 2018, 2:08 p.m. Suggest removal
Well_mudda_take_sic says...
John, are you off your meds again?
Posted 13 August 2018, 4:01 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
@mudda take sic yes and playing with ur mudda
Upvote0
Posted 13 August 2018, 7:39 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
Next big example rite here is former Prime Minister Hon Perry Christie who will tell you he gat put outta school for not being too smart..he studdied hard an look he became Prime Minister
Look at Pop Symonette anodder Premier who only gets 6 or so years of formal education......look at Mr. Safford Sands, genius to have foreseen advantages banking industry, tourism....taking all Bahamian entertainers all overseas marketing them showing dem to thd world and have the world come to lil small Bahamas, look at Wallace Groves who been to prison...an came an founded Freeport...
Posted 13 August 2018, 4:11 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
@mudda take sic yes and playing with ur mudda
Posted 13 August 2018, 6:04 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
See....da prpblem wid dis Bahamian Education learning system needs ajustment....what does happens is dey takes everry body from all over der place an learms dem one way , Bahamians growing one ways at english home...Haishuns growing ip anodder ways at home , Jamacians...most simillar to Bahamians..Chinese...Dominicans....Conkey Joes...deys puts da same uniform on errybody ....an.accordin to age.... an throw everrybody in one pot....different backgrounds....then dey needs to look at the parenting skills ...of course what do dey do wid the real wierd ones yours true and odders who dont fits different schools in an gets in univerdity at 15 an 16 years...errybody jus mash up in one pot..chillrens gets bored...gangs...peer pressure...diffrrent broughtupsies.....do bad tings...attitufe...smart mout..troublemakkng...cocky....da whole systems needs revamping...dese teachers really needs to gets paid more for following a set system turning out a set product from such a raw, cooked, spoiling, baked, soupy, overcookked, burnt, potcake, materials...incredible..!!!
Posted 13 August 2018, 7:18 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
@ bogart your message and it’s intent and it’s target are obscure. In other words your post is a dumb one. Your attempt to imitate others is not only dumb but a complete failure. Shame on you. Now go enunciate and punctuate. Properly!
Posted 13 August 2018, 9:23 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Now a Utah man steals a Cessna plane and crashes it into his own home after having a dispute with his wife. Even though his wife and adult son were home at the time, the disgruntled husband was the only one killed in the crash.
Posted 14 August 2018, 5:19 a.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
@John go play wid ya mudda.....or das what ya doin das why you is so even worser dan what you is accusing me ...look way in da world you gone ....I is talking Bahamas learning relating to da schooling....an you is talkin......talking Utah an Cessna plane....well mudda tek dic dred...
Posted 14 August 2018, 4:30 p.m. Suggest removal
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