Friends and relatives of a prison inmate struggling with back pain took direct action yesterday to demand medical treatment.

The family of Jakai Harford claim he can hardly walk and wash himself since the pain started a year ago, but say Westgate prison officers are failing to help him.

Yesterday, up to 20 protesters gathered at the Corrections Department building in Happy Valley Road to demand officials review the problem.

Kumi Harford, 28, from Pembroke, claimed his brother had not received a bath for six days.

“He’s getting a lot of pain in his lower back but they won’t give him medical attention,” said Mr. Harford.

“Some days he’s better than others, but at times he can’t walk or bathe himself. The prisoners are actually giving him more medical attention than the officers.”

Jakai Harford is serving a four year jail sentence for grievous bodily harm and last month he told The Royal Gazette since May he has not been able to sit down.

He added: “It was from working out up here (at Westgate). Pushups and stuff like that. It wasn’t from an accident or anything like that. I’ve asked and asked for help. They had a chiropractor and therapy and even X-ray, but not to my satisfaction. It’s (the pain) is still there. But they’ve been treating me like I’m nothing!”

One day last summer prisoners at Westgate staged an overnight sit-out to get better treatment, however, he claims, the plan only managed to backfire. He added: “I was sent to segregation and a remission of sentence. I got 18 months for mutiny.”

It is understood that other prisoners among the 20 or so men who refused to go into their cells on the night of August 16/17 were also charged with mutiny.

His brother said the prison had, then, arranged for an MRI scan in December but this showed nothing significant and the pain continued — suggesting the scan was taken in the wrong place. The family also claim their request to pay for a further examination and treatment was rebuffed. Harford’s aunt, 50, who asked not to be named, of Pembroke, said the only treatment her nephew was receiving was codeine tablets.

“He’s been going through this since last May and it’s not nice to see someone in pain,” she said.

“Jakai has almost done his time - for his crime. He’s repaying his debt to society there. I’m not backing away from what he’s up there for. No! But what more can they do to this child? He’s been able to get through it. He’s maintained himself.

“It hurts to see a young man in such pain, and difficulty when he went in there fine.”

Nickito Wainwright, 20, a friend of Harford’s, from Pembroke, said: “Jakai is like a brother to me and when he talks on the phone he sounds very distressed and says he feels like he wants to die.

“Everyone here is supporting him because we want him to come out and be in good health. We feel his pain.”

Protester Pamela Darrell, 55, of Somerset, added she was concerned about the general treatment of prisoners at Westgate.

She said: “My son is friends with this boy and it seems the prison officers are not helping him. I know he’s in prison and has done something to get there but he’s a human being and he’s a young boy.

“He’s in pain and can’t even use the bathroom, so he needs to be taken care of. As a mother I am concerned because it could be my son.”

After Harford’s aunt met with officials yesterday, she was granted her request for a second opinion. A Corrections Department spokesman said he could not comment on individual cases, but said: “We’ve met with Mr Harford’s next-of-kin and she’s satisfied that we are taking the appropriate steps.”

His aunt said: “The situation now is that we’re going to get a specialist for him and the family has to pay for that. Hopefully we will be able to resolve this problem as it’s been going on for a year.

“It’s not right for someone to have to go through this.”

She added: “They say they had done all what they could but you’re always entitled to a second opinion. As a family that’s what we want.”

Harford’s mother is off the Island until the end of the week.