Governor Ajamu Baly in his speech on behalf of government to open a new parliamentary year mentioned the ongoing shortage of detention capacity and prison guards (see related story). He said this is placing St. Maarten’s justice system under serious pressure, posing risks to public safety if urgent action is not taken.
The tender process for constructing a new correctional facility, led by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is progressing. After an initial unsuccessful round earlier this year, a renewed call for bids closed last June and evaluation of those submitted is ongoing, with an award decision expected in the coming weeks.
However, as the governor acknowledged, that will have a medium- to long-term impact. In the meantime, discussions are underway with Kingdom partners to find immediate solutions and ensure stability in the law enforcement chain.
The question is to what extent they can help and at what cost. Many penitentiaries in the Netherlands have closed, resulting in lack of cells there too, while Curaçao and Aruba face similar problems.
Besides that, expenses involved in such arrangements are considerable compared to the local alternative. It could mean having to divert badly-needed means destined for different crime-related purposes.
Other options include more use of electronic surveillance with ankle bracelets, but this is only considered suitable for certain cases, and not cheap either. Additional funding will thus likely be required to house inmates elsewhere, at least for now.
