A catalogue of health and safety concerns at the overcrowded Westgate facility have been put to Government by furious prison officers.

A Prison Officers? Association report to the Commissioner of Prisons, obtained by lists a worrying series of problems caused by capacity occupancy at the Island?s maximum security prison.

These include:

Shortages of food, clothing and medical supplies;

Staff unable to discipline inmates effectively;

Lack of safety for staff and vulnerable inmates, such as sex offenders and those with psychiatric problems;

Staff suffering high stress levels while having to work up to 14 days in a row.

The report also accused the Department of Corrections of breaking the law under at least three counts, the Fire Services Act 1982, the Health & Safety Act 1982 and the Health & Safety at Work (Fire Precautions) Regulations 1986.

The seven page report also contains a copy of an e-mail from Commissioner John Prescod to Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Robert Horton in which the illegal practice of remand prisoners mixing with inmates is described as ?almost unavoidable?.

The report, obtained by this newspaper from a prison source, was submitted to the 15-man four-hour marathon crisis talks held last week at Prison Headquarters between the POA, Government and key stakeholders including the Parole Board and the Attorney General?s office.

The report also reveals there is a strain on utilities at Westgate such as water, electricity and plumbing systems and long waiting lists to see the prison doctor. A 27-point breakdown on the impact of overcrowding also reveals high divorce rates among officers, higher sickness for staff and inmates and the inability to offer outside work parties, used to ?instil proper work ethic to dissuade recidivism?.

Showdown talks scheduled for 9 a.m. yesterday between administration and POA officials yesterday had to be shelved after Mr. Prescod called in sick.

Acting Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Martin Law responded: ?It would be inappropriate for me to comment on a report I haven?t read, although only so much credence can be attached to a one-sided document.?

A list of questions about the ongoing prison crisis e-mailed by to Mr. Prescod last week have yet to receive a response.