Discussions are reportedly being held with private individuals regarding the constructing of a new prison facility, since the Government appears unable to build one on its own.
The Minister of Public Safety and Attorney General, Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin, says the State cannot continue to house inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison, which is in a deplorable condition.
Benjamin is suggesting that, upon completion of a new prison, the old one be transformed into a museum for its historical significance.
Meanwhile, Benjamin says that since the COVID-19 outbreak here, there has not been a single case at the country’s lone penal institution. This, he says, is due to the strict measures put in place by prison officials to stop the virus from entering the gates of 1735.
Discussions on the construction of a new prison were expected to be held in Cabinet last week; however, there was no mention of it in the ensuing Cabinet Notes.
Conditions at the prison have been deteriorating over the years, with inmates and their families complaining about the facilities in which they are forced to live.
The facility was constructed in 1735 to hold approximately 150 inmates. However, there have been times when over 300 inmates were housed at the prison, reportedly with upwards of 10 persons sharing a cell.
Holding quarters on the grounds of the Prison Farm have been promised for more than a year now. Most of the collapsible structures, meanwhile, remain lying flat on the ground, with no explanation from officialdom.
