an explanation after three weeks without visitation or telephone contact with incarcerated relatives.

But prison officers remained tight-lipped about the situation last night.

"We've heard nothing concerning what happened up there,'' said one concerned mother who contacted The Royal Gazette . As a result, she said, people have no information on what has caused the removal of privileges other than rumours.

"Many people on the street are talking about what's happening up there,'' she said. Normally prisoners mail out visitation passes to whomever they would like to have visit them and are allowed three people at each visit, she said.

But, the woman who spoke on condition of anonymity, said three of the last scheduled visits for her family members were cancelled by phone call.

And she said that the phone privileges for prisoners with family or spouses overseas have also been cancelled.

"I asked if this applied to every single prisoner and they told me `yes, every single prisoner''', she said.

And the woman told The Royal Gazette that yesterday officers told her that they had no idea when the lockdown would end.

"They said: `We really don't know, an inquiry is being done.' And that's all they say. They don't talk too much.'' The concerned mother said she understands prison officials may have a good reason for the lockdown but feels the taxpayers who fund Westgate have a right to know what has happened to cause the situation.

"I respect the fact that they are having a lockdown because I trust their judgment,'' she said. "But I still feel the community should be informed as to what happened. There should just be some form of statement made to let us know.'' Last night Westgate officers refused to comment on the lockdown. An officer told The Royal Gazette that only a senior officer could comment on the situation and would be contacted. Late last night however, no one had returned calls.

In mid-March The Royal Gazette reported on a lockdown in E-wing at the prison following a prisoner sit-in.

"Prison staff is currently looking into what happened,'' Prisons Commissioner Ed Dyer said in an article which ran on March 19. "It is likely disciplinary action will be taken against some prisoners.'' However, the concerned mother said she suspected all prisoners are now being affected due to the "code not to tell tales about other prisoners''.

"I know for a fact it is the entire prison,'' she said. And she fears that prisoners' privileges have been whittled down to those given to remand prisoners who are allowed only one hour outside the cell each day.

The woman said the only privileges that she believes prisoners are currently allowed is to have canteen items such as soap sent in.

"They call that a privilege, but I guess they don't want them to be smelly,'' she said.