The closed circuit television (CCTV) system at His Majesty’s Prison in Brades is just “partially functioning”, Premier Joseph E Farrell has said.
The premier was responding to a question on from opposition member Donaldson Romeo in the latest sitting of the Montserrat Legislative Assembly on 23 July.
He said he would answer the question on behalf of Governor Sarah Tucker who he had sought the response from.
“Her Majesty’s Prison in Brades currently has a partially functioning CCTV surveillance system,” he told members.
Farrell explained that prison management is working with colleagues within the Government of Montserrat, and with experts from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice.
Together their aim is to enhance the facility’s operational effectiveness and accomplish a system upgrade, he said.
This is part of a package of support from the Ministry of Justice, which began last year with the replacement of all locks and provisions for new equipment for His Majesty’s Prison.
New security cameras
The question came after Montserrat Focus reported that the Office of the Deputy Governor was seeking proposals from companies to design, supply and install a new prison security camera system.
They had until 3 July to express interest in the project which the government listed on its tenders website.
“This system plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety and security of inmates, staff and visitors,” a request for proposals said.
The winning bidder will be required to develop a detailed design for the system, including camera types, placement, network architecture, and integration with existing systems.
The design should include provisions for future scalability and accommodate over 30 cameras, while complying with all relevant legal and regulatory standards
And the system must be able to withstand hurricane-force winds, must be resilient to sea spray, and must store footage for up to 1 year.
The document added that the bidder must integrate the new system with existing security infrastructure at the Brades facility, including monitoring stations and control systems.
