The Cayman Islands Prison Service, in a posting on the government’s tender bid site, has outlined plans for a new, much expanded prison complex with separate holding facilities for male and female inmates.
The new prison, according to details published as part of a request for supplier qualifications on the Bonfire portal, will be located adjacent to the existing Northward Prison site, and will take six years to complete. Once it is complete, Fairbanks Prison, which currently houses female inmates, will be closed.
Acting Deputy Director of Prisons, Ricardo Lashley, commenting on the project to the Cayman Compass said, “as the new fit-for-purpose prison project moves forward HMCIPS is pleased that we are one step closer to investing in key infrastructure to keep staff and the community safe, as well as boosting prison programmes and investing in education and skill development.”
Conditions at Northward and Fairbanks have come under fire over the years by prison inspectors, leading both facilities to implement a series of improvements.
Most recently, a 2020 report into Cayman’s prisons found that, despite those improvements, the state of jail cells at Northward, a lack of dedicated facilities for vulnerable prisoners, and the housing of young offenders within the adult population, remain serious concerns.
The Cayman Islands Independent Monitoring Board for Prisons and Places of Detention, in the 2020 annual report tabled in Parliament last year, stated that “the conditions of the cells themselves are still a major concern and not fit for human habitation, as supported by previous external inspection reports”.
Though the 35-page report acknowledged that “commendable efforts” were made to
improve areas such as lighting, painting, replacement of toilets and shower heads, as well as the installation of temporary air conditioning in most wings, it said more needs to be done.
“The general state of prisoner accommodations continues to be an issue, with cells having poor natural light and ventilation. Members of the Board have noted that dustbin liners are still being used as window covers, or makeshift shower curtains in some wings,” it said in its report.
Both of the existing prisons are ageing facilities. Northward was first opened in 1981, but in a 1999 riot, two wings of the prison, as well as Eagle House, which at the time held female prisoners, were set on fire by the rioting prisoners. The buildings were mostly repaired and brought back into use.
Fairbanks, which was formerly an immigration centre, was opened as a female prison as a direct consequence of the riots.
Estate plans include new accommodation
The new Prison Estate Development project, according to the tender documents, will be completed in three phases to “improve the physical plant and facilities of Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service. The new [building] will ensure there is a sustainable prison estate with the capacity to safely and humanely respond to future population and service needs.”
Acting Chief Officer Ministry of Home Affairs, Julian Lewis, responding to Compass queries on the project, said, the Ministry of Home Affairs is in full support of Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service as it embarks on the major project of building a fit-for-purpose Prison Estate.
“The phased development of a new Prison Estate will improve living conditions for inmates, enhance security, increase our ability to meet statutory requirements and international human rights standards, as well as increase our capacity to ensure that prisoners can take part in the rehabilitative process in an environment that is safe and secure. The Ministry looks forward to seeing the vision of a fit-for-purpose Prison Estate become a reality,” Lewis added.
The scope of the project includes the construction of new buildings for all prisoner groups, the tender documents stated.
“The new prison would be designed to provide levels of accommodation and security based on current UK best practice. It entails constructing 203,364 sq. ft. of new buildings within a 537,613 sq. ft. secure zone. All buildings would be constructed adjacent to the existing Northward estate and built to specified standards to meet the investment objectives. Buildings would also be hurricane-resistant up to category 5 with capacity for 250 prisoners and the potential to double up as necessary. The construction would be phased over six years,” it stated.
Under the proposed plan, the tender documents state, this option “would result in the closure of the existing Fairbanks prison estate and the consolidation of all prisoner groups at Northward prison”.
This, it said, would allow full access for people with disabilities, and accommodate all existing prisoners and staff, with added capacity for future growth.
“The initial stage would provide enhanced areas for entry visits, facilities maintenance, support (healthcare, reception and discharge, kitchen, faith, education, physical education, etc.), female, young offenders, and care and separation accommodation,” it said.
The existing facility would then use this new accommodation while the second stage is constructed.
“The second stage would provide the male cellular accommodation, and a final rectification phase will finish the sports pitch and complete the demolition of the existing accommodation.
The third phase will entail a hub, prison wings, and final perimeter security.
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Like the inclusion of ‘support facilities’ as rehabilitation support is critical.
Please add a court room (not prison’s problem) with adequate visitor parking. Allows easier, securer transfer of prisoners to have their day in court and going to Northward is just as easy as going to GT for jurors, etc., especially if the development includes proper parking (or park-and-ride or public transport links).
Wouldn’t it be more practical and a whole lot cheaper to simply deport those committing serious crimes back to whence they came?
Anecdotally it seems very few serious crimes are committed by Caymanian people.