COMMISSIONER of Corrections June Spencer-Jarrett yesterday admitted that it was a joint decision by her, the director of juvenile services, and the superintendent at Armadale that several wards at the St Ann-based juvenile correctional centre were transferred to the office dormitory which was the scene of a deadly fire in May.

Spencer-Jarrett, who at the time was deputy commissioner of custodial service, at first tried to evade the question which was posed to her by attorney Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, who is representing the Office of the Children’s Advocate.

But after several confusing responses and attempts to shift the responsibility to the superintendent, who is said to have direct responsibility for the placement of wards, Spencer-Jarrett finally disclosed that she was part of the decision-making which was taken following discussions.

The transfer is said to have happened following a fire in the main upstairs dormitory in 2008.

“It was after consultation, we made the decision,” Spencer-Jarrett told the enquiry into the fire which claimed the lives of seven girls and injured nine others.

She said, however, that she did not check the suitability of the dormitory, as she believed in the “integrity and honesty” of the director of juvenile services and the superintendent, whom she said had recommended the use of the dormitory, which was being used to house wards who had babies.

Spencer-Jarrett said she had concerns about the insufficient bathrooms and the lack of an alternative entrance or exit on the dormitory, but nothing was done because of financial constraints.

“We had no other alternative accommodation to place the girls at that time,” she stressed.

But Spencer-Jarrett said she had no knowledge of the wards’ living conditions. Several wards who previously testified at the enquiry said they were subjected to regular and extended periods of lockdown, eating with their hands during lockdown, the lack of use of the bathroom at nights and the nightly use of buckets for excretory purposes.

She said she never received any complaints, written or verbal, from the girls about the poor living conditions.

Spencer-Jarrett, who began her testimony on Friday, will continue to undergo cross-examination today at the enquiry which is being held at the National Volunteer Centre on Camp Road in Kingston.