Over the last twenty-five years and
more there have been visits from overseas prison inspectors, prison
directors, senior prison officers, judges, MLA's et.al., and they all
say the same thing:

“The Cayman Islands needs a new
prison.”

The last UK's Prison Inspection
catalogued a whole list of defects that had to be put right
immediately, and it was almost a repeat of the previous one three
years before, except for “some improvements”.

In the 2015 Report, Nick Hardwick HM
Chief Inspector of Prisons, said, “Perhaps our most important
criticism concerns the very poor condition of both prisons. Fairbanks
resembles a storage facility and was an oppressive environment that
provided no stimulation for those held there. Much of Northward was
decrepit and squalid. The one exception was the refurbishment of the
young persons unit at Northward, but both prisons still needed new
investment and refurbishment. The kitchen at Northward was in an
appalling state and should be replaced immediately.”

Move forward to now. The situation is
the same, if not worse. “Cayman’s prison facilities are not only
horribly overcrowded but also unfit for human habitation, with
conditions simply unacceptable”. - Prison Director Steve Barrett.

Speaking to CNS, Barrett also said,
the “Cayman Islands Prison Service is spending about $11 million
per year keeping offenders in appalling conditions. This both
undermines the progress of rehabilitating inmates and poses serious
challenges to their safety, as well as the security of the facility.

So why hasn't something been done?

Is it because making our two prisons
better doesn't produce any votes for our MLA's?

There may be a ray of hope. Government
have called for an Outline Business Case (OBC) with an Invitation to
Tender having been published.

Tenderers are being asked to submit
proposals that will cover the redevelopment of the entire HMP
Northward estate, which includes the prison and its junior wing,
formerly known as Eagle House Rehabilitation Centre, the
Fairbanks.women's prison.

The tenderers are also required to
consider the “existing physical state of the accommodation and
other service delivery buildings, prisoners privacy and appropriate
ventilation given the high temperatures, supervision needs such as
attaining unobstructed lines of sight, human rights considerations,
facilities for providing purposeful activities including educational,
recreational and vocational, as well as care facilities, the needs of
young prisoners and public safety”.

The OBC will identify the investment
option that optimises value for money, prepares the scheme for
procurement and determines the necessary funding and management
arrangements for the successful delivery of the project,

It is only a ray but at last it is a
ray in the right direction.

When will politicians realise locking
people up costs a lot of money whilst rehabilitation costs a lot
less? It is also more productive to all of us.

Let's hear a new battle cry that has
nothing to do with the proposed berthing facility:

“We need a new prison!”