A screen grab of one of the inmates boarding the flight.
POINTE BLANCHE--Four prisoners from St. Maarten with varying sentences for crimes including murder, manslaughter, bodily harm, and sexual assault of a minor were transferred this month to prison facilities in the Netherlands due to safety concerns.
The Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release that three additional prisoners are set to be transferred by the end of the month for similar reasons.
The prisoners are serving sentences ranging from two to 22 years. The transfer process involved significant collaboration between stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Prosecutor’s Office expressed appreciation to all parties involved, including the Minister and Ministry of Justice of St. Maarten, the Police Force of St. Maarten KSPM, the prison, and the Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar). The KMar was instrumental in the transportation of the prisoners.
These transfers to the Netherlands, while very needed due to safety concerns, have created space in the prison, bringing it from at-capacity to having available cell space, it was stated in the release. This availability does not make the prison less pressured as suspects in pretrial detention, housed in Philipsburg, will take up the spaces. The continued detainment of the suspects as they await trial is also important for the overall safety of the St. Maarten community, as a lack of cell space can lead (and has led in the past) to suspects being released pending trial.
