(Trinidad Express) THE time has come for the Port of Spain Prison to be closed, Commissioner of Prisons Martin Martinez said yesterday in a telephone interview with the Express.
Martinez said the prison was built about 200 years ago (it was completed in 1812) and was built at a time when the focus was on warehousing, prisoners with little concern for their rehabilitation.
“The architectural configuration of that prison cannot now accommodate any modern term in correction including our restorative justice initiative. Its structural integrity has been compromised over years. The present structure is a threat to security and safety,” Martinez said.
The Commissioner said closing down Port of Spain prison has been a consideration for some time as there had been discussions throughout this year about it and the matter was first raised as far back as 2009.
Martinez said the prison, located on Upper Frederick Street, currently house 500 prisoners but it was built to facilitate 250.
“The imprisonment is the punishment. They are not to be punished while in prison, so while they are in prison they have to be treated humanely. We are in the process of addressing all those issues,” Martinez said.
Martinez said some ideas for the old structure, whenever the powers that be decide to move the prison, are to transform it into a prison museum or preserve it as a historical site.
Martinez agreed that the age of the prison adds to the ease at which prisoners escape, however, he maintained that his officers had a duty to do all they can to protect the country.
“The structural integrity does not take away the duty of care and responsibility from the officers; they still have a duty to protect the public. This is what we are getting paid for,” Martinez said.
