Prison officers have reacted angrily to Commissioner Hubert Dean?s claims around dozen of them are smuggling drugs and contraband into the Island?s jails.

Prison Officers Association (POA) chairman Craig Clarke said Mr. Dean?s comments in Monday?s were a slur on all officers and undermined their credibility.

Mr. Clarke said: ?If officers are involved in drug trafficking in our institutions as suspected by the Commissioner where is the concrete proof to have these officers convicted in a court of law and sentenced for their crimes?

?As it stands now every officer becomes a victim of these comments.?

Although the claims may have been well intentioned said Mr. Clarke if Mr. Dean had no evidence he should not have gone public with them as they were subject to misinterpretation and he said the POA was in a ?state of shock? over the allegations.

He agreed with Mr. Dean that random drug testing had showed only a small percentage of inmates were testing positive for illicit substances.

Mr. Clarke said the POA was tired of senior public officials making unfounded allegations against officers.

Last night Mr. Dean was sticking to his guns, although he pointed out his intention was not to discredit all the members of the Department of Corrections.

?My relationship with the POA is valued but this is an issue that needs to be addressed. We have been discussing these issues over many, many months. We both recognise it?s a problem. And, as I pointed out, it is not just drugs, it?s cell phones.?

He said cell phones were an even bigger problem as they could help prisoners intimidate witnesses which could lead to court cases collapsing.

Mr. Clarke, in his statement defending POA members, went on to say that for years officers had worked with no clear vision or leadership. ?It is only today that we are now looking to have a business and corporate plan written for the Bermuda Department of Corrections.?

He said the request for overseas training had been ignored by Government.

Citing the over-reliance on officers acting up in higher positions, which he said went from every position from Divisional Officer to Assistant Commissioner, he said: ?Today we stand at perilous times within the Department of Corrections.?

Yet establishing a clear and concise chain of command was essential for stability said Mr. Clarke.

?The sitting Commissioner of Corrections leaves in June yet there is still no advertisement to identify a new Commissioner, further compounding the problems in the department.?

Mr. Clarke said officers would not be scapegoated for the state of the department.

?Many people may want to put up a smokescreen to draw people?s attention from the real issues that plague this Corrections Department.

?But the Association believes that until we get a serious commitment from the Government who is willing to train staff and give the Department of Corrections the tools and resources that are needed, we the members of Prison Officers Association will not stand for such blatant disrespect.?