"Life in Prison"
The premiere last Wednesday of the documentary "Life in Prison" was attended by a large group of invitees, including Commissioner Maria Buncamper Molanus and her husband, Councilman George Pantophlet, State Secretary Ernie Simmons and other interested people. An initiative of the Foundation Judiciary Institutes St. Maarten (SJIB), the one-hour documentary follows pro judicial process youth delinquents are subject to once they are arrested; it also sheds some light on the problems young people in St. Maarten face, which contributes to an alarming increase in youthful Pointe Blanche prison inmates. By commissioning its production, SJIB intended to contribute to a discussion about the subject of youth delinquency, and hopefully to discourage youth from choosing a life of crime. The Netherlands Antilles Youth Development Program (S.N.A.Y.D.P.) funded the project, which also includes showing the documentary at schools around the island. Journalist Marvin Hokstam wrote the script, did interviews and narrated the video documentary, which was co-produced by Albert and Noemi van der Gugten, the husband and wife video team of 180-Productions. The audience at Philipsburg Theaters last Wednesday was highly appreciative of the initiative, as could be judged from the applause bestowed upon SJIB, the producers and the teenage actors, police officers, prison officials and other people who contributed to the production.
