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Outages damage new prison’s aircons
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Posted on Apr 16 2008
The frequent power outages have damaged five of the nine air-conditioning compressors at the new state-of-the-art prison in Susupe.
As a result, the planned transfer of inmates and detainees to the new prison at the end of this month will be delayed by two or three more months, Saipan Tribune learned yesterday.
Department of Corrections Commissioner Lino Tenorio disclosed that three air-conditioning compressors broke down in the past three months due to power fluctuations.
Tenorio said another compressor broke down last month, while the fifth one happened just two days ago.
“As much as we really want to move in anytime toward the end of this month, the power fluctuation has actually caused the additional compressor that we have to break,” he said.
The commissioner said the four remaining operating air-conditioners can partially accommodate the DOC administration’s office and one or two of the housing units.
“We cannot just bring in the inmates in this weather right now,” he said.
Tenorio said they are trying to get the Department of Public Works to act on the problem so they can get the main contractor, Telesource, to have its subcontractor come in and fix the problem right away because the air-conditioners are still in the warranty period.
“We’re just tired of waiting and waiting and pushing and pushing,” Tenorio said.
The division is also installing IT infrastructure within the building. The commissioner said that cables are already in place, but minor work is still being done by Pacific Telecommunications Inc.
He said that even if PTI gets done in a matter of two to three weeks, the compressor problem is expected to cause another three months of delay because of shipping the materials or units.
The new prison, officially named Vicente Taman Seman Memorial Building, was just unveiled in February. Construction on the 100,000 square-foot lot in Susupe began in 2002. The first target opening date was either February or March 2006. Contractual issues caused the long delay in the facility’s opening.
At the opening last February, DOC officials said the inmates and detainees are expected to be slowly transferred “in the coming weeks” from the old detention to the new building.
