The man Prisons Commissioner John Prescod has brought in as a consultant has been blamed for letting dangerous criminals loose in Jamaica.

Dr. Morais Wallen was brought here last year to do an audit of the prisons department according to the Prison Officers Association who say he will begin work again next month.

They fear the 2001 prisons board of inquiry will be ignored in favour of new recommendations by Dr. Wallen.

Yesterday the Jamaican prison union leader said Dr. Wallen had been unpopular and was seen as a crony of Mr. Prescod during his spell on the Caribbean island.

University and Allied Workers Union leader Lambert Brown said Mr. Prescod had over-ridden senior staff to appoint Dr. Wallen.

He said: "Members of senior staff opposed it, the director, at least two deputy commissioners opposed it.

"Nevertheless he proceeded. These are experienced people.

"Most of the time he was in Jamaica he spent time at Prescod's house."

Mr. Brown said Dr. Wallen was of little help to the system and the problems of officers in controlling inmates but instead was keen to get prisoners out into the community.

"Inmates were taken to parties in the street with very little or no supervision because he felt if inmates were allowed out you begin to trust them and they create less problems in the institutions," said Mr. Brown.

"From this liberal policy we had a number of escapes from dangerous inmates."

He said murderers on death row had been released under this policy. It's believed Dr. Wallen is originally from Jamaica but works out of Canada.

Mr. Brown said: "We had absolutely no contact with him, I think he was in the office, not out in the facility."

Mr. Brown also said Mr. Prescod's record on reducing recidivism in Jamaica had been exaggerated.

He said: "He claims for it but I don't know anything that makes him responsible for it. It is a coincidence. I have often asked what did you do to reduce it?

"He would take credit for the sunshine this morning."

He said the fear factor kept people from returning to Jamaica's prisons.

"Prisons are really terrible, people don't want to go back there because they are so terrible. You are facing death and rape."

He said the commission of inquiry into Jamaica's prison service had said Mr. Prescod rarely visited facilities.

The Royal Gazette rang the current Jamaican prisons commissioner to check out the story but the call was not returned.