BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OVERCROWDING continues to be a major issue at the Basseterre facility of Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP).
Yesterday (July 23), at the official close of the May 2009 Criminal Assizes, Chief Officer at HMP Alvin Vasquez presented the “Jail Delivery” before the court which indicated that, as at 8:00 that morning, there were 252 inmates of the institution.
In providing a breakdown of the prison population, Vasquez informed that there are 249 males, 226 of which reside at the Basseterre facility while the remaining 23 reside at Russell’s Rest, also known as the Prison Farm on Nevis. The remaining three inmates are females and they reside at the Basseterre facility.
One hundred and thirty-one of the males at HMP were convicted at the High Court level, 59 were convicted at the Magistrate Court level, 28 are awaiting trial at the Magistrate Court level while 16 are awaiting trial at the High Court level. One female is awaiting her trial date at the High Court level.
Additionally, three males are awaiting sentence while four male inmates are at HMP “at the Queen’s pleasure”. One male and a female are debtors, two males are “prohibited immigrants” and the remaining five males are “condemned”, having been sentenced to death by hanging.
He also indicated that among the inmates at HMP is one juvenile, who, according to His Lordship Justice Francis Belle, ought not to be there. However, because he squandered an opportunity granted by the court for reform, he has placed himself in that situation.
Vasquez, when asked by His Lordship whether or not overcrowding in the prison is still an issue, responded in the affirmative explaining that it is to the extent that in some situations, 14 to 16 prisoners share a 16'x8' cell that has double bunks.
Sometime ago, the head of HMP, Superintendent Franklyn Dorset, spoke of plans by the authorities to make provision for the construction of an additional prison facility, but no further word has been given to date.
