Dear Editor,
Much has been written recently about the lack of prison space at the Point Blanche facility and how it is affecting the sentences being meted out through judicial proceedings.
Unfortunately, there is also much being written about the escalation of crime on the island, which is obviously adding to the problem of where to house the convicted criminals. One of the negative effects of having a shortage of detention facilities is an inadvertent enabling of crime due to a perceived and actual lack of strict and immediate punishment, lessening the deterrent in a time where stronger deterrents are woefully needed.
Hopefully this is a short-term problem due to the upcoming building of a new prison with increased capacity, but waiting until the completion of the new prison three years from now, to address crime and proper punishment, is not acceptable, as today the island’s reputation is faltering, affecting many industries and individual livelihoods, not to mention personal safety.
In your recent editorial, you pointed out that there are some cell container type facilities on the island that are not being utilized due to costs and impracticability of locating them outside the prison. Use of them needs to be considered and analyzed, as the status quo is unacceptable.
However, there is potentially another solution whose roots go back to 1776. That is the use of prison ships, also known as prison hulks. These are former seagoing vessels that have been modified to become a place of substantive detention for convicts.
Until recently, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center was a five-story jail barge that stretched the length of two football fields, resembling a container ship stacked with cargo. This is an extreme example, as it could hold 800 inmates, hopefully significantly more than needed on SXM.
A company named Chevalier Floatels has prison ships that can hold 101, 110 and 221 prisoners. Those facilities can be divided into several security sections with recreational areas in every section. Also, there are ample office facilities for security posts, medical examination, visitor areas and administration. A large galley can be used to provide meals. Light wells can be used as exercise yards. Conversion to prison standards can be done in a few weeks.
I do not know the availability or cost of these ships, but the concept is worth considering and implementation a possibility when SXM is replete with water frontage and getting ships here should not be difficult. In addition, when the prison is completed and there is no need for the temporary prison facilities, a lease can be terminated or the ship sold, should the decision be to purchase one, returning capital to the country. Coordinating with the French side of the island might also defray cost and make the concept more feasible.
The United States military has been using barge-like temporary housing for years, for when a navy ship comes to port for a multi-year overhaul where the sailors cannot stay on board their ship. This could be another source for SXM.
Something to consider.
R. Paul Speece
Simpson Bay
