Faydene Ferreira, assistant superintendent at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre, says normal procedures to transfer wards who absconded were ignored after seven escaped the facility before the deadly May 22 fire.

She said the wards remained at the facility after they escaped on May 7 and were recaptured. Prior to that, one ward who escaped was also returned to the facility, but she, too, was not transferred. However, Ferreira argued that it was not her duty to authorise such transfers.

"It is left up to the commissioner to make that decision when a ward absconds," she said. The assistant superintendent explained that these wards would normally be transferred to Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre or the Horizon Remand Centre.

Lockdown not an option

During her cross-examination at the commission of enquiry into the fire, held at the Council of Voluntary Social Services on Camp Road in Kingston, Ferreira, who was managing the St Ann facility at the time, said she was in favour of the wards being transferred "due to space and behaviour".

However, she did not make any recommendations, as it was the normal procedure.

She also presented a document with the punishments for offences committed by the juveniles, but the use of lockdown as a punishment was not included. Answering the question of why a lockdown was implemented, Ferreira said it was acceptable standard procedure in the event of a disturbance, and reiterated her earlier comments about the lack of space.

"There was no space. One way to do it is isolation, and we had counselling," she said. "I did my best. My hands were tied."

The enquiry is scheduled to continue tomorrow at 10 a.m.

kimesha.walters@gleaner.com