PRISM Applied to a Critical Incident Review: A Case Study of the Glendairy Prison Riot and Its Aftermath in Barbados

Abstract

PRISM (Promoting Risk Interventions by Situational Management) has multiple uses. In this paper we describe case studies that consider, first, the riot and the consequent loss of Glendairy prison in Barbados, and second, the functioning of the temporary prison at Harrison's point created to contain, on a short-term basis, over 1000 prisoners. We analyze the organizational processes that led to the violence at Glendairy and we consider the processes that maintained the high level of violence at Harrison's Point. We conclude by providing recommendations about changes in institutional practice designed to prevent the transmission of the culture of acceptance of violence to the new state-of-the art prison being created. Moving from the practical to the theoretical, we argue that the application of PRISM can promote the understanding of the theoretical processes—risk processes—that operate to increase or decrease the likelihood of violence in institutions, whether prisons or forensic mental health facilities.

Keywords:

• prison violence
• institutional risk factors
• PRISM
• risk processes
• violence

We should also point out that the present study, commissioned by the National Crime Prevention Taskforce of the Office of the Attorney General and designed to explore the violence in Barbados prisons, was allowed to proceed with no hindrance or impedance.

We would like to acknowledge the continued support and guidance of Miss Kim Ramsey of the Department of the Attorney General throughout this work. We would also like to thank Miss Modupe Sodeyi for her assistance during our second visit. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Barbados Prison Service, including, Superintendent John Nurse, Deputy Superintendent Graham Archer, Principal Officer Cedric Moore and members of the PRISM group, Alvin Boyce, Sandra Holder, John Lythcott and Cheryl Ifill. We are very grateful to all staff and prisoners who undertook to complete our surveys. Without their active assistance we could not have obtained a comprehensive and clear indication of staff and prisoner opinions. Finally, we would like to thank Dr Lorraine Johnstone for her support with the completion of the PRISM assessment.

Notes

¹The Barbados Survey fieldwork covered the period 23–24 August 2006. On the evening prior to the Survey, each dormitory was given a leaflet informing them of the Survey and its aims. On the day of the Survey, prisoners were issued with a survey form personally by the authors. After being given the chance to complete the questionnaire the completed forms were personally collected by the authors. This methodology helps ensure that when handing out the forms each prisoner is given a brief explanation of why the Survey is taking place and has an opportunity—albeit a brief one—to ask questions. It also assures prisoners that the forms are not inadvertently read by anyone other than the authors. The results of the Survey were returned to prison management teams within 10 working days of fieldwork.

²In addition to the fuller description of the PRISM methodology, the report submitted by the authors to the Office of the Attorney General in Barbados is available on-line at www.icpa.ca.

³‘Bullers’ is the Bajan word for a homosexual.