Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander has confirmed that the Port of Spain Prison will be decommissioned.
Speaking at Thursday’s Post Cabinet Media Briefing, he stated that the prison, built 268 years ago, had been condemned and has cost the State millions of dollars due to breaches of prisoners’ constitutional rights.
“The Port of Spain Prison was built in 1757, at a time when the prisons were referred to as a holding pen. Long before light bulbs were even invented. Today, after 268 years later, the United National Congress Government, led by the Honourable Prime Minister Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has taken the historical decision to decommission the Port of Spain Prison. Two hundred and sixty eight years later, I am pleased to announce this. This facility has been reportedly condemned by courts, has been unfit for housing prisoners, and has cost the State millions of dollars in damages for breaches of the constitutional rights of persons.”
Minister Alexander said plans to decommission the Port of Spain prison have received support from the business community in the capital city.
He also outlined the government’s rationale and future plans for the prisoners at the facility.
“Rather than continuing paying compensation to prisoners for breach of the constitutional rights by housing them in facilities that is subhuman and degrading, the government will save money and invest instead in a state-of-the-art prison facility, modernised to assist in rehabilitation and restorative justice. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago instructed us to consult with persons in and around Port of Spain, and let me tell you this, we have the support of the Chamber and the business community in and around Port of Spain. This is long overdue. This will be done in four phases, when you look at it. The first phase will be, in fact, removing prisoners from Port of Spain to the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca, condemned persons and persons on remand, and we’ll continue doing that until the prison is no more.”