Ads by Google Ads by Google

TCF officers the problem not inmates, says Commish

“The problem at the jail is not with the inmates, but the problem I have is with my own (correction) officers not performing their duties, not being honest—and it’s a very simple thing, at six p.m. everyone should be locked down,” said Commissioner of Public Safety William Bill Haleck, addressing the re-occurring event of inmates easily escaping the Tafuna Correctional Facility and Juvenile Detention Center, with the recent case of a juvenile who “walked out freely on Wednesday.”

 

The Commissioner in an interview with Samoa News said the question he has disappointedly been asking about these incidents at the Correctional Facility is — “where is the guard?”

 

Samoa News received calls from residents near the juvenile detention center that a specific juvenile, who has been accused of several burglaries, had been seen roaming outside the juvenile gate on Wednesday.

 

The Commissioner said one of the reasons for incidents such as inmates escaping is due to lack of manpower, and they have this issue as a top priority. He said that as soon as the governor gives the green light to hire new corrections officers, it will be done within 90 days.

 

“Some people (correction officers) are not committed to their jobs, and have the same old attitude with government jobs — where they are just there to collect their eight hours and go home. There is no incentive to try to better themselves in the positions they're in, or even trying to do what they are supposed to be doing,” he said.

 

He noted that this is not an issue that is taken lightly by DPS given that it jeopardizes the safety of members of the public, as in the past inmates who have escaped have assaulted civilians, and to prevent such incidents DPS needs more police officers for the facility.

 

Haleck noted that this is also frustrating for Warden Lumana’i Maifea who unfortunately cannot be at the TCF 24 hours a day and seven days a week. “Someone has to take the ball when the Warden is not present and as soon as the Warden leaves, these things happen and that is where all the problems occur,” he said.

 

"There are many more problems at TCF, which we are slowly addressing," said Haleck.

 

In the meantime, Correction Officer Rocky Tua and Police Officer Fiti Aina, have been charged on allegations they allowed inmates to leave TCF to go to the store. According to the government’s case, police conducted a raid in July last year at the TCF, where beer was found in one of the cells. An investigation revealed that police officers were sending inmates out, unsupervised, to a nearby store to purchase beer, food and phone cards.

 

Other incidents have come to the attention of Samoa News wherein attorneys have been at a store near the TCF and observed their clients, some behind bars on very serious charges, walking out the front gate unsupervised.

 

Samoa News also reported earlier this year that four inmates — Pati Lepou, Sefo Lemalu, David Maea, and Gasona Mafiti (also known as Na’asona Momoe ) were all convicted of escaping from the jail and assaulting a security guard during the escape. Court filings state the defendants escaped from jail after they removed keys to their cell from a guard’s keychain.