BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING many years of complaints about the inhumane condition at Her Majesty’s Prison, the Government of National Unity is currently considering the construction of a new facility.
This disclosure was made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Osmond Petty, who also stated that discussions are being had for the new prison to be located at Estridge Estate; an area, he pointed out, that was earmarked for a number of years.
Petty was at the time among members of the Police High Command as guests on the Government’s weekly radio programme ‘Working for You’ and was responding to a caller who posted a question on the new prison.
“There was a site identified some years ago that we are still contemplating at this time...Estridge Estate Area above the Estridge Estate, so that is still at this time the site.”
He stated that drawings for the design of the new prison were done in the past by the previous Administration but the Government of National Unity is now seeking to have its own to start the construction of the facility.
“We are at this point trying to get our drawings done and trying to locate financing for the prison. The plans are underway, the drawings were done years ago but, with different financiers coming on stream, we have to get other drawings as well.”
“This where we are at the moment, getting the drawings done for the new prison,” Petty added.
For quite a number of years inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison have been complaining about overcrowded cells and the treatment meted out to them by some officers, which were echoed by many concerned citizens, some of whom see the correctional facility as a breeding ground for criminals.
Speaking recently on Operation Rescue’s radio programme ‘The Operation Room’, Queen’s Council J. Emile Ferdinand was of the view that the facility is overcrowded and pointed to a presentation he made several years ago at a juvenile convention.
“In that talk, I made the point that I felt the prison conditions in St. Kitts and Nevis were less than desirable. Not because we want to make prisoners comfortable and happy, but the reality is that even though we say the police are not catching enough criminals, the prisons are full and overflowing.”
Just recently, the Superintendent of Prisons declared that the Basseterre facility would be closed to the public for 21 days to facilitate a smooth transition of his recent appointment, while Acting Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd had stated that investigations are underway because illegal items were being smuggled into the facility.
The Federation has two penitentiaries - Her Majesty’s Prison in Basseterre and the Prison Farm in Nevis. The former was built in 1840 by the British to accommodate 60 inmates but it reportedly now houses a few hundreds.
