Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson yesterday admitted that since the beginning of the year he and members of his team had begun preparing for an increase in the prison population if the anti-gang legislation was passed.
Wilson said this was despite the fact that space is always a problem at the prisons
He said about 30 gang leaders are already incarcerated, as well as many gang members spread.
A high-risk unit has been set up and his officers have begun "sanitising" various locations for more..
“High-risk gang members are moved around as the situation dictates,”, he said, and if they fall out, the system treats with those situations in a professional manner.
He explained, "What we try to do as much as possible is to include them in programmes and recreational activities, and in an incremental way we have a level of integration so we allow them to become friends and not enemies.
"It is a challenge, but we will overcome these challenges. We have quite a few gang members in the system. We have been managing them in an effective way.”
He said Muslims and Rastas play football within the prison system and do not have any major differences.
“However, from time to time there may be falling out, normal conflicts, but it is managed. We do not have one gang attacking another gang. We try to manage that as much as possible.
"We give them children’s visits, and allow them to see their wives and family, but it is based on behaviour: they know if they do not behave they are not allowed to see their wives and family. That is how we try to control them. We are doing this in the interest of public safety.”
Wilson said whatever the perception on the outside, the prison system will accommodate any forthcoming increase in gang leaders and gangster.