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Grand Turk Prison in Breach of Human Rights Standards, investigation finds

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Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer

 

 

TurksandCaicos, March  14, 2023 – Despite significant upgrades, because of continued overcrowding, poor sanitation, and regular sewage issues, His Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk is still not fit for human habitation, and is in breach of International Human Rights standards, says the TCI Human Rights Commission following recent investigations carried out in the facility.  

The Commission conducted an unannounced review of the Prison on February 23, after receiving ‘information of alarming conditions’. They say what they found was unacceptable.

“The visit revealed that the facility is currently overcrowded with a total of 131 inmates, which included persons on remand,” said Sabrina Green, Head of the Commission.  Some of the prisoners had been on remand for significant lengths of time impeding their access to justice, and the facilities themselves were found wanting. 

“One of the major issues and concerns identified by the Commission was the back-up of sewage at the facility.  The sewage network at the HMP is dated, and seems to be in disrepair.  The system is not suited to the capacity of individuals housed there.  Pipe blockages occur frequently, when foreign objects are flushed down the toilets, by the inmates, often as a form of protest.  The current issue appears to have been caused by a rock being lodged in the pipes, causing the back-up in one of the septic tanks which resulted in an overflow,” Green explained 

The issue was picked up on February 14th by Magnetic Media, when videos of the gray sludge, and overflowing bathrooms where inmates had to contend, were shared by inmates and their relatives.  It took more than a week before concrete answers were provided for the public by the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Minister Otis Morris. On February 21st, the Ministry admitted there were issues with sewage and said they were being dealt with. The visit by the Human Rights Commission was two days later. 

Along with the sewage issue that the Commission reported to have found:

  •  Most of the showers are in disrepair except for the White Wing, and currently on one wing, every toilet on the left-hand side fails to flush.  
  • The new and improved Yellow Wing lies empty, despite its working facilities. Inmates cannot be housed in it because it is missing special doors, which can only be sourced from the UK.
  • One of the ‘Women’s Wing’ door locks, also available only in the UK, still remains broken after being reported by the Commission several years ago.

Prisoners, as pointed out by Green, have a right to an adequate standard of living and prison officers must ensure that proper health standards are met, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25).  Despite this, the prison has repeatedly been found to have an inhumane standard of living for people on remand and inmates.

At this time, it is also a concern to the Commission that those incarcerated are getting no outdoor time; managers of the facility have admitted this, the statement says.

“Several of the previous Superintendents in charge of the facility have stated that the only solution is to build a new facility fit for the purpose of incarceration and rehabilitation.  The problems with sewage at the facility are one of the many reasons the facility is not fit for human habitation.”

Magnetic Media interviewed Minister Morris regarding the report; he explained that while he had been out of the country, everything was, by now, ‘back to normal’.  He also explained that, the Cabinet plans to visit the facility on March 8th, which is today – to see the beleaguered prison for themselves. 

While challenges are evident and vexing, the Commission reports that there have been significant upgrades, namely:

  •  The facility stank of sewage. The authorities carried out extensive work on the sewage system in recent years, and now, problems with the sewage are dealt with quickly, even though they still occur. 
  • Previous reviews noted that the water provided to the inmates was discoloured. This was believed to be from rusty cisterns; now, it is of better quality.  
  • In the past, inmates were forced to use buckets in their cells to go to the toilet.
  •  The facility has improved, and Internal fencing and CCTV cameras have made it a much safer place. 

Green admitted that Senior leadership and staff at the prison consistently make efforts to improve the environment. Also, funding for the facility has been acquired but there is a lot of work left to do, and that requires a greater sense of urgency.

“The Commission has been making regular visits to the facility for over a decade, and has witnessed many improvements.  However, these improvements are noted as the best that the authorities can do, with the resources provided by the government, which tends to be temporary solutions to existing problems,” she explained. 

There are efforts for rehabilitation at the prison, which the Commission also acknowledges.  For example, she said, “The farm is an excellent tool for the rehabilitation of offenders, and the classroom at the facility houses have computers connected to the internet that allow several inmates to take online courses, providing genuine qualifications.  These improvements, although commendable, are not enough to comply with International Human Rights standards,” Green maintained.

“There remain many problems with the facility, and each one dehumanises the inmates that little bit more, and acts as a barrier to effective rehabilitation.” 

Using Norway, which has a recidivism rate of 20 percent, Commissioner Green has encouraged the authorities to focus on the prisoners’ wellbeing to make their efforts at rehabilitation effective.

Government

STATEMENT BY HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, DILEENI DANIELSELVARATNAM: APPOINTMENTS TO THE CABINET OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

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Turks and Caicos, February 12, 2025

 

TCI Cabinet named:

Acting on the advice of the Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick OBE JP, pursuant to section 31(1)(C) of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011, I will appoint the following elected representatives as members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cabinet at a ceremony to be held tomorrow 13 February 2025 at 10 a.m. at St. Monica’s Church Providenciales.

Pursuant to section 31 (1)(C)(7) of the Constitution Amendment Order 2024 and in consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition Hon. Edwin Astwood, I will appoint an additional Minister to the Cabinet.

In line with section 36 (2) of the Constitution Order 2011, on the advice of the Premier, I will assign their respective portfolios as listed below:

  1. Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick OBE JP will lead the Office of the Premier and Public Policy and is to be appointed as Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment and Trade.
  2. Deputy Premier, Hon. Jamell Rayan Robinson is to be appointed as Minister of Immigration and Border Services.
  3. Hon. Erwin Jay Saunders is to be appointed as Minister of Innovation, Technology and Information.
  4. Hon. Otis Chuck Morris is to be appointed as Minister of Public Safety and Utilities.
  5. Hon. Arlington Alexander Musgrove is to be appointed as Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development.
  6. Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor is to be appointed as Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.
  7. Hon. Shaun David Malcolm is to be appointed as Minister of Home Affairs, Religious Affairs and Transportation.
  8. Hon. Kyle Robert Knowles is to be appointed as Minister of Health and Human Services.
  9. Hon. Zhavargo Jermaine Jolly is to be appointed as Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment.

Following the ceremony, a meeting of Cabinet will be held at the Office of the Premier. I look forward to working with the Hon. Premier and the Cabinet in service of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Appointments will take effect immediately following their swearing-in.
Instruments of appointment will be published in the Official Gazette.

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Government

Why the Premier doesn’t need to be the Most Popular

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Deandrea Hamilton
Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 9, 2025 – It took some diligence and re-learning of the electoral process back in 2012 to understand the unique practice of voting for candidates in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

No longer were voters only choosing one constituency representative, but also five all island representatives. That has since ballooned to nine due to a constitutional change which eliminated appointed seats. Now, all seats in the TCI’s parliament are held by an individual who has been duly elected by the people.

Curiosity emerged in this 2025 national poll when E Jay Saunders, a PNP backbencher won the most votes in the all island category. He finished with 4,614 and topped Washington Misick, his party’s leader and the re-elected premier, who got 4,208 votes.

They were first and second, though the difference between them was 406 votes.

It’s not the first time the most popular finisher in the all island vote hasn’t also been premier. In fact, the first time this happened the person who got the most votes – Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson – had to be contented with serving as Opposition Leader because her party was not the one with the most elected candidates. That was in 2012.

In these islands, the premiership is won when two simple requirements are met.

One, when a political party elects its leader it is constitutionally entrenched within that document that the leader, if he or she wins their seat, will ascend to premier.

Leader of party equals leader of country if that party wins the most seats to form government and if that person is a holder of one of those seats.

Two, in order to satisfy the country’s constitutional requirement, you have to be elected to parliament and deemed the leader of the party with the most seats.

In TCIs case, we have 9 seats for the all island candidates.

Any individual who ended the day as among the nine people with the most votes, they would have satisfied that requirement because they would be among the nine elected in that category.

First or fifth, you’re in the nine and you’re the party leader, then you’re the premier.

If you’re a party leader and ended up the candidate with even the ninth highest amount of votes, you would still be qualified to be country leader.

Place in this category of the race does not matter. It’s why the fight for leadership is often so fierce within political parties, why a party has to be governed by a constitution so that clear rules are established and accepted and why the organisation has to be government approved or registered.

The governor then complies with the party’s written constitution about who he or she must swear in as premier if the said party racks up the most seats.

The PNP won the most seats; 16 of 19.

The PNP chose Washington Misick as its leader, therefore Washington Misick becomes the premier.

Popularity in the all island category in TCI gives one bragging rights (if they feel like it) and insight into how the public sees or accepts them. But, that’s all.

The voters in this 2025 runoff have demonstrated that of all the 20+ candidates that ran all island or at large, EJ Saunders was or is the most popular because he got the most votes in this category. He’s got to feel good about that fact and he should. That’s some seriously bankable political capital which he can spend in a bid to become the next leader of the PNP first, then the Turks and Caicos Islands if his party is able to repeat a victory in 2030, which is when elections are constitutionally due.

Popularity is super but in the Turks and Caicos’ system it does not automatically mean, premier.

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Government

Turnpike, Traffic Lights and Digital Gov’t feature in PNP Five Year Plan

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Danae Dennie

Staff Writer 

 

 

Turks and Caicos, February 8, 2025 – The Progressive National Party has won the 2025 election and now the clock starts ticking. As they take office, with their manifestos as their guide, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) now await an improved society.

The Progressive National Party (PNP) has shared a plethora of  plans in its Citizen’s Contract 2.0, their manifesto which will be used as a blueprint for their five-year tenure for the TCI.

The question now looms, will they follow through on their promises or will they fall short?

The PNP has a track record of establishing beneficial initiatives within the country; they have instituted free education at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College for all citizens, introduced a national minimum wage and increased  public service pay.

So, what’s next? According to the PNPs’s Manifesto their vision is to build a society where social and economic progress is guaranteed for all citizens with equity, transparency and integrity as their guiding principles.

In the next five years the PNP shares that they will strive for sustainable economic growth  and development. They plan to create more employment and income opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders and boost the TCI’s potential.

Examples of these plans include supporting youth entrepreneurs through venture capital and equity investments,  and they plan to develop Agro Parks to boost the agricultural industry.

The PNP has also pledged to expand infrastructure.

As the TCI Tourism Industry booms, the infrastructure has to grow as well. The PNP hopes to expand the Howard Hamilton International Airport, South Dock and other ports.

Other developments include redeveloping the Millennium Highway to a four lane dual-carriage in each direction, developing a series of parallel roads to Leeward Highway to ease traffic congestion and facilitate traffic flow in emergencies.

As well as developing  the “Caicos Turnpike” from Providenciales to South Caicos.

They also plan to install a traffic light system in Providenciales to help regulate the flow of traffic, ease congestion and improve safety.

Energy reform is also on the list to be championed.

The PNP shares that it is committed to transforming the energy landscape of the Turks and Caicos Islands to ensure sustainability, affordability, and reliability. With plans to upgrade the power grid to accommodate an expanding renewable energy infrastructure.

A Digital Government is also being pushed for the TCI. They plan to ensure that every citizen and resident of the Turks and Caicos Islands has access to faster, more convenient, and more transparent government services through new technological advancements like AI and smart technology. They also plan to offer high-quality online courses and training to equip the young people of the TCI with the digital skills they need for the jobs of the future.

One of the major topics of discussion in this election was the state of healthcare.

In the PNP Manifesto, they shared that they  plan to build a better healthcare system that is resilient, prioritizes prevention, and embraces innovation. They will do this by establishing a National Health Services Authority (NHSA) and a National Health Information System (NHIS), this would provide Electronic Health Records, and a National Disease Surveillance System for tracking communicable diseases.

The PNP administration  also vows to rid the TCI of unregulated jitneys and provide  reliable, safe and cost-effective public transportation. Other plans include improvement on waste management. For social provision they plan to  establish new benchmarks and make provisions in the TCI budget to ensure that both equity and need are given full weight to improve the quality of life for TC Islanders. This will be done through initiatives like expanding the Children Nutritional Programme and providing high quality education at all levels as well as improving the sporting industry.

The PNP believes that every citizen should have access to adequate, affordable housing in safe fully serviced communities. In their next term, the PNP Administration will set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create economically viable communities of at least 1,000 new homes each. Their goal is to complete three communities with 3,000 homes over the next five years.

Today’s youth are the future of tomorrow. The PNP acknowledges this and has vowed to increase access to tertiary education, skills and vocational training; expand the National Youth Service to offer apprenticeship, mentorship and subsidized training with the private sector as well as  establish accessible mental health facilities and services tailored to young people in every community, including counselling and crisis support hotlines.

The major aim of the PNP government is to meet the goals put in place in their Vision 2040 plan. The PNP shares that they are committed to the rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability, better regulatory quality, and accountability in order to reach these goals.

To build on this foundation, the PNP highlights its track record of keeping promises and its commitment to delivering on new plans that will drive the country forward. The PNP emphasized that the promises made over the past four years were fulfilled. With a vision for a better future for the TCI, delivering on their new plans is essential for the country’s progress. The nation has chosen to keep the boat steady, hoping for smooth waters and steady sailing in the years ahead.

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