Preventative Steps to Strengthen Public Safety: Focus on At-Risk Youth and Electronic Monitoring

Deandrea Hamilton (Editor)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Turks and Caicos, May 23, 2025 – In his May 20, 2025, budget presentation, Minister of Public Safety and Utilities, Otis Morris, emphasized that sustainable public safety in the Turks and Caicos Islands must go beyond enforcement to address the root causes of criminal behavior. He outlined several preventative measures spearheaded by the Department of Rehabilitation and Correctional Services (DRCS), with particular focus on reducing youth criminality and implementing electronic monitoring to promote accountability and reduce incarceration.

A key initiative is the introduction of an Electronic Monitoring System, set to launch by September 2025. This system will use real-time GPS tracking to monitor select categories of offenders in the community. It aims to relieve prison overcrowding by providing courts with a viable alternative to incarceration. As Morris explained, this system will “strengthen public safety, improve offender accountability, and provide support for victims and families.” By offering greater supervision for high-risk individuals on bail or probation, electronic monitoring will allow for better reintegration while maintaining public safety.

Another major preventative strategy is the creation of the Juvenile Prevention and Intervention Council (JPIC). This multi-agency body is designed to intervene early in the lives of at-risk youth. Minister Morris cited a troubling finding: 30% of high school students in Turks and Caicos are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Factors include family instability, truancy, substance abuse, and exposure to violence. JPIC will address these issues through coordinated case management, ensuring that young people and their families receive tailored support before law enforcement becomes necessary.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Morris underscored the importance of early intervention in preventing long-term social damage: “In a nation as interconnected as ours, every successful rehabilitation represents a strengthening of the social fabric.” This philosophy also underpins DRCS’s broader mandate, which includes probation, aftercare, and alternative sentencing.

Other preventative steps include the opening of the country’s first Half-Way House, supporting offenders in transition with counseling, life skills, and drug rehabilitation, and modernizing the Parole Board to ensure transparent, fair, and evidence-based decisions.

Overall, Morris’ strategy reflects a holistic, forward-looking approach to public safety—one that acknowledges the value of compassion, second chances, and early intervention. By investing in systems that support accountability and rehabilitation, he believes the government is building a safer and more resilient Turks and Caicos Islands.