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

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.