Legal representative of the Point Blanche Inmate Association Safira Ibrahim.
~ Lawyer warns of deepening unrest ~
POINT BLANCHE--The Point Blanche Inmates Association has expressed its concerns about inmates being transferred abroad without proper notice or consultation, being deprived of one hour airing, having to use buckets to urinate and defecate due to prison personnel being understaffed, educational/vocational programmes being non-existent, and mental health support being insufficient.
Uncertainty reigns among inmates at the Point Blanche prison, following the forced transfer of six prisoners to Bonaire, a move authorities justified as part of post-May 14, 2025, fire measures to reduce overcrowding at the facility. “Who will be next?” is now the question on everyone’s mind.
“It’s a pick-and-choose,” said Point Blanche Prison Inmates Association legal representative Safira Ibrahim, who is also the legal representative of one of the inmates transferred to Bonaire.
“The reason my client did not want to go to the detention facility in Bonaire is because we are in the midst of preparing his appeal case and I need to be able to speak to him in person,” Ibrahim explained. “I received an urgent call from the prison on Thursday evening, informing me that he would be sent to Bonaire, and although he objected, telling prison management that he needed to be able to see me and his family, he was still sent to Bonaire on Friday morning.
“As much as Bonaire may have allegedly excellent digital qualities for communication, it does not guarantee the attorney-client privilege entailing confidentiality.”
The inmates have had limited contact with their families since May 18, 2025. “Understandably, families of those being flown out without a timely official notice will become very upset.”
The Justitiele Inrichting Caribish (JICN) in Kralendijk, Bonaire, houses a maximum of 113 male and female adult inmates, juveniles, and undocumented immigrants. Ibrahim has not been informed in which cell block her client is being held. “The only information I have is that he will be kept in Bonaire, whereby this measure can be upheld for a maximum duration of two months,” Ibrahim told The Daily Herald on Friday afternoon.
Request from Inmates Association
Ibrahim was approached by the board of the Point Blanche Inmates Association to represent the interests of the prison population and to conduct research into the granting of early release and the limited use of electronic ankle bracelets. The board submitted this request three weeks before the arson incident at the prison on Wednesday, May 14. In the context of this request made by the board, Ibrahim provided inmates with questionnaires to detail their concerns and questions regarding these issues.
Prior to the fire incident of May 14, Ibrahim had received completed questionnaires and was in the process of reviewing the concerns raised when the prison riot and subsequent arson occurred. “The Inmates Association had nothing to do with these events pertaining to the fire incident. In fact, they have shown considerable patience, consistently insisting on pursuing legal avenues to gain transparency regarding decisions made by the Prosecutor’s Office, the Minister of Justice, and the prison director,” Ibrahim said.
She emphasized that while the Point Blanche Prison Inmates Association represents only a portion of the inmate population, it is advocating for transparency and clarity on proceedings of early release and the use of electronic monitoring, and humane and safe conditions within prison for all individuals currently detained, as well as those awaiting incarceration. These points have also been addressed by the inmates and are being reflected on their filled-in questionnaires.
According to Ibrahim, the arson is a direct consequence of the growing discontent in the prison.
In the aftermath of the incident, inmates now face even greater uncertainty. What was once limited to questions about the fairness and transparency of early release based on good behaviour has expanded to deeper concerns: when communication with their families will be restored and whether they might be next to be transferred off-island without prior official notification, Ibrahim said, voicing the inmates’ concerns.
“My client, who was transferred to Bonaire on Friday morning, was in a cell in Point Blanche far from the area where the fire was set. So why was he selected?” Ibrahim asked. “And why wasn’t it taken into account that his appeal case is still pending? This is just one example out of many, as many other inmates are facing the same circumstances.”
Ongoing issues and concerns
After the fire, the public was informed by the Ministry of Justice of the temporary suspension of certain detainee rights and privileges effective from May 18, 2025. To date, Ibrahim said, this suspension is still in place, as it was extended for a third time. “This means that inmates remain in their cells 24/7, as their airtime has been suspended, and they are not allowed communication with anyone outside other than with their lawyer.”
The situation at the prison is dire, Ibrahim emphasised. “This is not solely the result of the events of May 14, but more so due to the ongoing shortage of prison guards,” she said. “Inmates rely on guards not only to access basic services such as the bathroom, but also to receive medical attention. A nurse can only be alerted through a guard, and many detainees are entirely dependent on officers to unlock their cells and escort them. In some cases, no guard responds at all or may come too late due to being understaffed, even when inmates call out for help.”
Medical care for all inmates is the responsibility of Dr. Mershack Naawu, a family physician and emergency medicine specialist who was appointed as prison doctor by former Minister of Justice Anna Richardson. Together with Dr. Rai Singh, Dr. Naawu took over Midtown Medical Center in Philipsburg from Dr. Michael Mercuur, who retired on January 1, 2022.
In addition to co-managing this busy general practice, Dr. Naawu oversees daily medical care at the Point Blanche prison, the police holding cells in Philipsburg, and, following the events of May 14, 2025, now also travels regularly to Simpson Bay to attend to detainees held at the foreigner detention centre. The first floor of that facility has been declared an official House of Detention by the current Minister of Justice.
Ibrahim has raised serious concerns about whether a single prison doctor can adequately oversee the health and well-being of inmates across multiple facilities, including the Point Blanche prison, the Philipsburg holding cells, and the Simpson Bay detention centre, while also managing a full-time general practice.
Given the urgency of the situation, Ibrahim emphasised that the current medical response system is wholly inadequate to meet the basic needs of detainees.
“This lends weight to the inmates’ claims that the prison system is operating under inhumane conditions,” she said. “The responses I received from inmates through the questionnaires reflect deep concerns, not only about their health and safety, but also about their future after incarceration. They are asking for access to education, vocational training, the ability to work, opportunities to engage in sports, to have transparency on the early release proceedings and to have a clear policy in place.
“These are not unreasonable demands; they speak to a desire for rehabilitation, not just punishment.”
Fragile system demanding urgent appeal
On behalf of the Point Blanche Prison Inmates Association, Ibrahim wishes to stress the fact that the conditions that inmates and staff needed to endure were already inhumane. The recent fire has not only made conditions worse, but has also revealed the fragility of the system.
The Point Blanche Prison Inmates Association does not believe that the repairs to the prison or new construction will address the fundamental issues of safety for inmates and staff, nor the rehabilitation function that a penal system should have.
The association is making an urgent appeal to Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling and the Prosecutor’s Office to have better access to quality healthcare, mental health programmes that improve the mental well-being of inmates, educational resources (library, computer centre, GED programme) and programmes (GED programmes and vocational training) that will enable inmates to rejoin the community as productive members of society and not end back up in prison.
In the current system, if you weren’t a bitter criminal coming into prison, you probably will be one by the time you leave prison.
In connection with this, Ibrahim also emphasises the inmates’ dire need to have a system of support being developed, rewards and consequences that will incentivise good behaviour, stimulate personal growth and deter undesirable behaviours.
She calls on the authorities to clearly explain in plain, accessible language what the rights of the inmates are, how decisions concerning the measures taken and future measures are being made, and in what manner the prison facilities will meet humanitarian standards to safeguard not only internal safety, but also the safety of St. Maarten society as a whole. “The current silence and lack of communication only deepen the uncertainty and unrest among the detainees,” Ibrahim stressed.
She further urges the Ministry of Justice to address the emotional and psychological toll of forcibly transferring inmates from St. Maarten to other jurisdictions in the region, cutting them off entirely from their families and support networks.
“Restoring transparency and communication is not just a legal obligation, it is essential to restoring a sense of dignity, trust, and peace within the prison system,” she said. “The inmates stand ready to participate in work programmes to repair the prison, and to be constructive partners in the dialogue with officials on how to make the prison humane, stable and productive to guarantee internal safety and safety for the society of St. Maarten.”
