Dear Editor,

The security at the Georgetown Prison is not as poor as suggested in a letter captioned "Poor security at prison"(27.2.2002). There is barbed at the top of the walls, surveillance cameras, guards on the streets surrounding the prison and watch towers.

I do not think more could be done where security is concerned. The problem is the remand system. No blame should be placed on the prison authorities. When a prisoner is sentenced to serve a period in jail he is conformable because he knows when his sentence is over he will be freed. But the remand prisoners do not know when they will get out because their trials are a long way off. Remand prisoners are in the prison for years because of the large backlog of cases.

The judiciary is responsible for this. If these cases could be disposed of expeditiously the population in the prison will drop. The climbing on the roof to air their case to the public, planning to escape and other acts of lawlessness will cease.