PHILIPSBURG--After almost five years of dedicated work in Sint Maarten’s correctional institutions, Creative Leadership and Innovation Management Bureau (CLIMB) Foundation has announced that it will end its involvement in the Prison Education Program (PEP) when its current contract with the Ministry of Justice expires on December 1, 2025.
The decision, according to CLIMB directors Dr. Yadira Boston and Dr. Delroy Pierre, stems from an irreconcilable difference in vision with the Ministry over what constitutes effective prison education.
“We have no intention to continue after December 1,” Dr. Boston told Members of Parliament during a presentation of the foundation’s findings on Thursday. “The 2023 tendering process and the Ministry’s approach show a lack of understanding of the GED system and of what true educational rehabilitation requires.”
Thursday’s presentation to Parliament summarized the results of studies conducted between 2021 and 2025 at both the Point Blanche Prison and Miss Lalie Center, focusing on academic and literacy assessments, student progress, and the diversity of educational programs. The session had been requested by CLIMB Foundation on June 27 to provide insight into the impact and challenges of prison education on the island.
CLIMB Foundation began its prison education initiative in 2021 under an agreement with the Ministry of Justice. Its mission was to create an inclusive educational program that addressed the diverse learning needs of inmates while providing pathways toward academic qualification and rehabilitation.
The program, known as the Prison Education Program (PEP), focused on personalized instruction, literacy development, and preparation for the General Educational Development (GED) exams.
The pilot phase concluded with an End-of-Term Celebration on December 17, 2022, at the Point Blanche Prison. During that event, the instructors reflected on the progress of the first group of students – eleven inmates who had each demonstrated measurable academic growth within months of enrollment.
Four inmates had advanced sufficiently to sit the official GED exams; two passed all their exams and earned official GED diplomas, while the remaining two were scheduled to complete theirs in early 2023.
“Understanding the level of each inmate is the starting point of effective teaching,” Dr. Boston said. “We assessed every student, created individualized learning plans, and taught at their pace. Education behind bars must start from where the learner is, not where we think they should be.”
Data-driven insights
In their presentation to Parliament, CLIMB shared extensive research data illustrating both the successes and the persistent challenges of providing education in correctional environments.
“When examining prison education on St. Maarten,” Dr. Boston explained, “our research supports the same complexities and challenges that we see in our schools. But when those convicted are incarcerated, addressing these challenges becomes more profound.”
Both Boston and Pierre, who have taught across primary, secondary, and tertiary education in St. Maarten, effectively executed the PEP for three years as teachers. They argued that education is central to rehabilitation and must be understood as a transformative tool rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Dr. Pierre underscored that inmates face the same inequities and challenges found in schools, but on a more critical scale where culture, identity, and other social factors play a pivotal role. “If we want inmates to be truly rehabilitated – able to enter the job market with sufficient literacy, numeracy, and even social skills – we must pay attention to the underdevelopment of these abilities and the root causes behind them,” he said. “We must therefore address any special needs that may be present, not as an afterthought, but as a central part of the rehabilitation process.”
Educational gaps
The instructors highlighted how many of the educational challenges in St. Maarten’s schools – particularly those related to literacy, mathematics, and learning disabilities – are mirrored in the prison population, often in amplified form.
“In our schools, many students struggle with reading and mathematics,” Dr. Boston said. “There are limited interventions in these areas. Teachers may assess a child’s reading level, but often no follow-up intervention takes place. The same students who fall through the cracks in school are the ones who later end up in prison.”
She explained that some inmates entered the system with reading levels as low as kindergarten, while others had completed higher education. “This wide spectrum makes group instruction extremely difficult,” she said.
Compounding the issue are students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other psychological or behavioral conditions for whom adequate resources are lacking. “These gaps extend into the prison environment,” Boston said. “We see students who dropped out of school early, some as young as elementary age. Others are stateless and therefore unable to take internationally recognized exams such as the GED because they lack identification documents.”
Such conditions, Boston explained, create “a complex web of variables” that hinder consistent delivery of quality prison education.
Limited resources
Despite these obstacles, CLIMB has managed to sustain the program for four years with strong attendance and consistent demand. At the Point Blanche prison there is only one classroom, which accommodates ten students.
“We doubled the number of classes but still had to create a waiting list,” Boston said. “We have worked for four years with limited resources and no incidents in class. Our students show commitment to learning, and we’ve seen transformation happen.”
At Miss Lalie Center, which houses juvenile offenders, the classroom space is even smaller, accommodating only four students at a time. “We had to triple the number of classes because certain minors cannot be taught together,” she said.
Both instructors emphasized that effective prison education requires individualized attention, a culturally relevant curriculum, and consistent resource provision. CLIMB employs differentiated instruction, adjusting methods to each student’s level and needs – a demanding approach in the prison setting but one they view as essential to success.
“Education cannot be one-size-fits-all,” Dr. Pierre added. “If an inmate cannot read or write, we must create a safe, respectful space for learning. In our classes, no one knows who can or cannot write their name. That’s why we’ve had zero incidents in three years – because we protect each student’s dignity.”
Inmates’ experiences
Boston and Pierre shared personal testimonies from inmates, many of whom said school had been the most painful experience of their lives. “That came as a shock to us,” Boston said. “Many
of them told us that school was the worst place they had ever been. That’s why they respond so positively to education now – they finally feel seen, heard, and respected.”
Inmates have also expressed a desire for a quiet reading space and a better selection of books.
“Members of the community often donate books,” Boston noted, “but it’s important for the institutions to identify the kinds of materials inmates actually want and need.”
Difference in vision
In response to questions from Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley, leader of United People’s (UP) party, about the process for renewing their contract, CLIMB directors Dr. Yadira Boston and Dr. Delroy Pierre announced that they would not continue their work after December 1. They explained that their decision stems from what they described as a fundamental difference in vision between the foundation and the Ministry of Justice regarding effective prison education.
“In 2023, the Ministry issued a tender for education at the prison that focused solely on the GED program,” Boston said. “The way that tender was written was terrible. It showed that many in government do not understand the GED system or the broader educational needs of inmates. True prison education cannot begin and end with the GED – it must address literacy, life skills, and rehabilitation.”
They also told MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, leader of Democratic Party (DP), that all reports and evaluations produced over the years had been shared with the Ministry of Justice, prison management, and other stakeholders.
To MP Veronica Jansen-Webster of Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM), Boston explained that CLIMB had not been consulted or informed about the new prison in Point Blanche.
“We were never contacted. We were never called,” she said. “That’s why we thought it was important to share with Parliament what the current educational program actually looks like. That’s all.”
Final recommendations
Dr. Pierre cautioned against reducing prison education to a single exam-oriented framework. “The program should not be presented as a GED program – it should be an educational program for all. Inmates should feel safe to come to class without fearing they’ll be judged as incapable,” he said, emphasizing that education is not just about academics; it is about self-worth, communication, and reintegration.
He added that inmates’ social and emotional development must be central to rehabilitation efforts. “If we want inmates to be truly rehabilitated and able to enter the job market with sufficient literacy, numeracy, and social skills, we must address the root causes of underdevelopment,” Pierre said. “This includes acknowledging learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, and social inequities – not as peripheral issues, but as the foundation of any rehabilitation program.”
Over four years, CLIMB’s work has shown that even in resource-constrained environments, positive results are achievable. Inmates who participated in structured learning demonstrated measurable improvement in reading, writing, numeracy, and self-confidence.
When Wescot-Williams asked for a recommendation on the way forward, Boston was unequivocal: “Teachers in the prison should be local. No one knows our inmates better than St. Maarten-born teachers. The prisoners trust us because we are from here, we grew up in the same places, we went to the same schools. That’s why we were able to walk into prison and teach without incident.”
CLIMB’s final report will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice on November 20, less than two weeks before their contract officially ends. The foundation has requested a formal meeting with
key stakeholders to discuss the report and the lessons learned from four years of teaching at the prison.
