Council on Law Enforcement presents prison report to Minister of Justice

More than ‘bricks, bars and cameras’ needed within prisons in Sint Maarten, notes council
Representatives of the Council on Law Enforcement on Monday presented its report “the security and the safety in the detentions facilities of Sint Maarten” to St. Maarten’s Minister of Justice, Dennis Richardson. Making the presentation to the minister were Franklyn Richards, Representative of the Council on Law Enforcement and Mr. Gerard van Voorst, Chief Inspector of the office of the Council on Law Enforcement on Sint Maarten.
The report was drafted in the wake of the Council on Law Enforcement having examined the security of – and the safety in the Point Blanche and Simpson Bay prisons. In addition -at the request of the Minister of Justice- the Council investigated a serious violent incident that took place on September 11th 2014, within the walls of the Point Blanche facility.
The report underscores that the importance of security of – and safety in prisons cannot be underestimated. Society should be able to rely on the fact that incarceration of convicted criminals will have its judicial effect and protect society against further crimes.  The government has the duty to ensure the safety of personnel in the workplace of facilities and a safe confinement of detainees, says the report.
The focus of the council’s report is not only placed on community safety, taking into consideration eventual protection from escapes out of prison. The report also focuses attention on the internal security, to the extent that a safe working environment for staff at the institutions is maintained as would be the case with the safety of prisoners during their detention. An additional point of interest, in the report, was the incident of September 11th, 2014 at the Point Blanche facility.
The Council is certainly impressed with the great dedication, which many display in keeping the institutions operational, even under difficult circumstances.
The report mentions that attention is being paid to construction initiatives that benefit safety and security. Since mid-2013, the facility in Pointe Blanche has begun renovation, taking place in phases. Progress is being made in introducing additional security and safety, by implementing mechanisms that would minimize the risks of an escape. The report notes that tools such as camera surveillance and intercom promote the safety of both staff and inmates.
An acceptable level of security and safety, however, calls for more than ‘bricks, bars and cameras’.  And in areas other than construction and facilities, an extremely worrisome situation is present. Three structural factors affect security and safety within the prisons in a negative manner: under staffing, quality and integrity of personnel.
On the basis of its research, the Council has presented 15 recommendations to address the current situation. Each of these recommendations is to contribute towards marked improvements. Substantial effect, however, will only be achieved when this multifaceted issue is approached integrally, warns the council.
In 2011, the progress committee of St. Maarten which monitors the action plans adopted in the framework of the constitutional reform of 2010, expressed doubts regarding the resolving of the problem of shortage of detention locations without the assistance of the Kingdom partners.
The Council now doubts whether St. Maarten, without employing the opportunities available through its Kingdom partners, will be able to solve the challenges regarding detention capacity as well as that of safety and security of the institutions.
The scope and dimension of the problem, and the extent to which it has been consequently lagging behind in following up on findings and recommendations, are not a cause for optimism of the Council.