In a landmark incident marking the first known case of a female prison officer caught smuggling prohibited items in Trinidad and Tobago’s correctional system, a 19-year veteran staff member was taken into custody at Golden Grove Prison in Arouca on Thursday morning during a routine security sweep.
The Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service confirmed that the arrest took place at approximately 8:48 a.m. Following the discovery of contraband in the officer’s possession, she was immediately cautioned per protocol, and law enforcement units assigned to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) were dispatched to the facility. The officer was then escorted to the Arouca Police Station, where she remained throughout the day to assist with ongoing investigative inquiries. Prison officials confirmed she is scheduled to face formal criminal charges later this week.
Acting Commissioner of Prisons Elvin Scanterbury publicly praised the work of the officers who detected and intercepted the smuggling attempt, emphasizing a core institutional principle: no person employed by the prison service, regardless of their gender, rank or length of service, is exempt from the consequences of violating the law. The prison service has long maintained a strict zero-tolerance policy for contraband trafficking and all other illegal activity carried out by staff within correctional facilities, a stance officials reaffirmed in the wake of the arrest.
The Prison Officers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago (POATT), the national union representing prison staff, also confirmed it has been officially notified of the arrest and the contraband trafficking allegations. POATT public relations officer Kris Guerero stated that the association’s position aligns firmly with that of the prison service: there is no room for tolerance for any officer who smuggles or helps facilitate the movement of prohibited items into or within correctional institutions. Guerero stressed that professional accountability must apply equally to all officers, no matter their gender, rank, tenure, social status or personal connections. He added that the actions of one individual officer should not tarnish the professional reputation of the vast majority of prison staff who carry out their duties with integrity.
“ The POATT stands firm: no officer is above accountability, ” Guerero said.
POATT General Secretary Lester Logie echoed this position, pointing to formal policy changes and national legislation that reinforce strict penalties for contraband trafficking by prison staff. Logie explained that during the association’s 2019 delegate conference, POATT members voted to amend its constitution to add Clause 13(b), which governs the provision of legal representation for union members. Under the revised rule, the association will not provide legal support to any member formally charged with contraband trafficking or other offences falling under Prison Rules 233(2) and Section 8 of the Prisons Service Act, Chap. 13:01.
Logie noted that Section 8 of the Prisons Service Act was updated by Act 25 of 2019, which introduced sweeping new provisions specifically targeting the possession and trafficking of contraband within correctional facilities. The updated legislation clearly defines core criminal offences related to smuggling, outlines what items qualify as prohibited goods, and establishes significant penalties for law enforcement officers convicted of these crimes. Officers found guilty can face fines as high as $500,000 and sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Under the updated legislation, it is a criminal offence for any person to bring, move, supply or possess any prohibited article into or out of a correctional facility without explicit written authorization from the Commissioner of Prisons. Logie clarified that written approval is a non-negotiable requirement, even for items that may seem harmless such as books. The broad list of prohibited items includes common contraband such as tools, unapproved cash, unauthorized clothing, cigarettes, illicit drugs, mobile phone SIM cards, electronic chargers and a range of other unauthorized goods.