By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday said his ministry wants to construct a new modern medium security prison able to accommodate up to 500 inmates in an effort to bring about reform to the prison system.

Mr Dames made the revelation to reporters yesterday ahead of cabinet, outlining various projects now in the pipeline to improve conditions at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

He said no other government has been able to do what this current administration has done for the prison over the last several years, pointing to several infrastructure projects carried out at the correctional facility.

“We came into office and met an administration building that was deplorable. The roof was leaking, we corrected that. (At the) maximum security facility, we know the conditions that were beyond substandard and we have been able through the leadership of the Commissioner and his team to modernise a number of the wings within maximum security and continue to do so.

“There are upgrades going on throughout that prison. You should see it. More upgrades would’ve taken place from the prison under this administration than any other previous administration. In addition to that, we’re also looking at ways to ensure officers’ safety.”

He added: “We’re with the United States and the partnership, bringing in new state of the art x-ray machines to ensure that persons are not trafficking into the prison illegal contraband and weapons and cell phones and the like and body armour and protective gears for the officers. We’re improving the exchange that will allow persons coming to visit loved ones and relatives in a nice environment in which to communicate so the work is ongoing.”

Mr Dames said since being elected to office, there has also been a significant reduction in the number of inmates being held at the prison.

“When we came in, I think there was close to 1,700 inmates being housed at Her Majesty’s Prison,” he added.

“I think the numbers are now down to 1,200, just a little over 1,200 and so that’s an indication that we’re doing the best we can to ensure that only those who are supposed to be there are there.”

Mr Dames said even now, the various rehabilitative committees continue to work and review applications for those wanting to have their records wiped clean.

“The Prerogative of Mercy Committee, we had a meeting last week,” the minister continued. “We’re now reviewing in excess of 200 submissions and I think there’s a follow up meeting this coming Thursday and the rehabilitation committee continues to meet and we continue to expunge records of those persons who are deserving.”

In May, officials from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee revealed over 100 Bahamians had applied to the group to have their criminal records expunged of which 19 have been successful so far.

As for the ministry’s plans to further improve the nation’s rehabilitative system, Mr Dames said officials want to build a new medium security facility that will be “conducive to rehabilitation and parole”.

He also said a committee has been formed to assist with those plans, which he said will be presented to Cabinet at a later date.

He said: “We have established a committee and I would’ve met with that committee last week and so we’re looking at the possibility at presenting to Cabinet at some point a public private partnership arrangement that would see construction of a new modern facility that will be able to accommodate somewhere between 300 to 500 inmates because the objective here is we cannot talk about rehabilitation, we cannot talk about parole, modernisation without first looking at the welfare of officers and inmates alike.

“You cannot tell a guy we want to rehabilitate you and then at the end of the day you put him in a cell with about five or six others and the environment is not conducive for it and that’s the reason why we’re working in tandem to ensure that we meet the overall needs of the prison officers as well as the inmates.

“This is going to be a modernised probably a medium security facility that will be conducive for rehabilitation and parole and things of that nature and… when we’re at the stage where we think we could move forward, (we will) make a presentation to Cabinet to consider but we’re not there yet.”