PHILIPSBURG – The draft budget 2018 contains an intriguing statement about the Pointe Blanche prison in the sense that it speaks of the “renovation and expansion” of the facility, while the Council of Ministers earlier announced that it had opted for the construction of a new prison. Minister Cornelius de Weever (Justice) offered some clarification at Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing.
“The Council of Ministers has in principle agreed,” he said. “We need a new prison, but that project takes its own trajectory. In the meantime, what are we going to do? Are we going to spend more than 2 million guilders to fix it up and continue with what we have? Or do we knock the entire building down.”
The minister referred to the “transition phase” and to agreements with the Netherlands and Curacao where some inmates are currently detained. “Those agreements are being worked out to make sure that more of them can come back. In the meantime we need to appoint a project manager.”
Minister De Weever said that St. Maarten is working together with the Netherlands and the world Bank.
“The Netherlands just built a prison in Bonaire. We are definitely going to pursue some kind of cooperation with the Netherlands as well.”
Dutch Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus comes to St. Maarten next week. Cooperation on the prison-issue will be one of the topics of discussion, De Weever said. Grapperhaus will also visit the Pointe Blanche prison. “It is important that he understands the urgency,” Minister De Weever said. “The construction of a prison is very necessary for the security of everyone.”
The draft budget 2018 contains under priorities for the coming years for the Ministry of Justice the construction by Liccom of the third and fourth floor of the Pointe Blanche prison for an amount of 630,00 guilders; the budget has earmarked 320,000 guilders for the contribution of Independent Consulting engineers (ICE) to this project. There is also a post of 60,000 guilders for the erection of a new 77-meter long fence.
The draft budget states that the Ministry of Justice intends to improve detention facilities by “completing and renovating the House of Detention at Pointe Blanche.”
