Regional security expert Dr. Garvin Heerah says Trinidad and Tobago’s fight against crime cannot succeed without the urgent reform of the prison system.
He says criminal activity is being directed from inside correctional facilities, undermining national security efforts.
He believes the issue extends beyond rehabilitation, arguing that structural weaknesses within the prison network are contributing to wider criminal operations. He is calling for a comprehensive audit and modernisation of facilities, including upgraded intelligence capabilities and stronger internal controls.
“It is proven, and the data is there, that the number of crimes on the outside are actually triggered and initiated from behind prison walls. So we have a threat issue within the prison system, and that needs to be addressed imminently, because as we speak, that continues to be a significant dent in the armour of national security.”
According to Dr. Heerah, reform must focus not only on containment but also on transformation.
“So I think there has to be a total review and audit of our present prison system, and we have to also look at how we can treat with that in what is known as a highly technological aspect of how a prison needs to be structured. It’s state-of-the-art.”
Dr. Heerah maintains that without modernisation and stronger internal safeguards, efforts to reduce crime externally may continue to face challenges originating from within the prison system itself.