The first floor of the building on Simpson Road 1, next to the Simpson Bay Bridge, is officially a House of Detention as of May 15.
Emergency relocation of prisoners to Simpson Bay ~
PHILIPSBURG—In response to the escalating crisis at Pointe Blanche Prison, Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has formally designated the first floor of the government-owned building at Simpson Bay Road No. 1 as a temporary detention facility. Ministerial Decree No. 2025/715, signed on May 15, authorizes this measure.
This emergency measure comes in the wake of a prison riot and fire on May 14, 2025, which severely damaged parts of the facility and displaced 51 of the prison’s 80 inmates.
The incident has further strained what authorities describe as a long-standing and critical shortage of cell space, an issue that has plagued the Pointe Blanche facility since Hurricane Irma in 2017. The recent riot left major portions of the cell block uninhabitable, forcing prison management to find urgent alternative housing for over half the inmate population.
In Ministerial Decree No. 2025/715, published on May 16 in a special edition of the National Gazette, Minister Tackling cited the urgent need for temporary detention capacity to restore order and ensure continued lawful detention of individuals in state custody. The decree officially designates the first floor of the building commonly referred to as the “Foreigner Detention Center” or grenshospitium at Simpson Bay Road No. 1 as a House of Detention.
The decision is grounded in Articles 3(1) and 5(3) of the National Ordinance on the Principles of Prison Administration, which grant the Minister the authority to designate temporary detention centers when required in the public interest.
The ministerial decree outlines several key provisions to support the emergency relocation of detainees. Article 1 formally designates the first floor of the facility at Simpson Bay Road No. 1, registered under certificate number 1/1997, as an official house of detention. Article 2 places the oversight and management of detainees at this temporary location under the authority of the Director of the Prison and House of Detention. Finally, Article 3 states that the decree takes immediate effect upon signing and will be published in the Landscourant van Sint Maarten (Government Gazette) to ensure formal public notification.
This move provides short-term relief as the Ministry of Justice works on more sustainable, long-term solutions to Sint Maarten’s correctional infrastructure challenges.
The Ministry has underscored its commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and legal rights of detainees, while stabilizing operations at Pointe Blanche and repairing the damage caused by last week's unrest.
Further updates will be provided as efforts to restore full functionality at the prison continue.
