Fewer than 200 inmates spent Christmas in Westgate after the proposed transfer of nine prisoners to the Co-Ed facility eventually took place.

More than 20 inmates were due to be moved from the overcrowded maximum security prison earlier this month following marathon talks between the Prison Officers? Association (POA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The transfer was halted however, after the first dozen inmates were moved as prison staff expressed anger over the category of prisoners being moved.

POA officials claimed that Minister Randy Horton?s original statement that ?low-risk prisoners? would be moved was ignored, with a dozen foreign nationals ? some of whom had sentences up to 18 years ? being transferred instead.

Staff vowed not to move any further inmates until crisis talks were held with Prisons Commissioner John Prescod, but he was off sick for three days when the meeting was due to be held.understands talks were eventually held and nine lower risk prisoners eventually moved, just before Christmas, bringing occupancy down to 197 over the festive season.

A POA official said the prisoners who were moved were from the low-risk categories ? those jailed for civil or road traffic offences ? and two of the original dozen transferred were now back in Westgate with the others set to return, and be replaced by lower risk inmates, in the ?near future?.was unable to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Home Affairs.