With a focus on national security, UK Minister Andrew Sharpe of Epsom met with various agencies in Cayman during his recent trip to the jurisdiction to gain a better understanding of security matters that fall under the purview of the UK’s Home Office.
However, those discussions did not include upgrading Cayman’s prisons to maximum security facilities that could accommodate inmates such as convicted murderers Osbourne Douglas and Justin Ramoon who are serving time in the UK.
Sharpe said that was a matter for the Ministry of Justice.
The minister arrived Tuesday, 6 Feb., and spent several day discussing law enforcement, border integrity, cybersecurity and other matters with agencies including the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Cayman Islands Coast Guard and Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the latter proving particularly timely following the damaging nor’wester that hit the jurisdiction early last week.
Sharpe also participated in the third annual UK Overseas Territories Cyber Security Conference, which Governor Jane Owen opened.
At a press briefing on Friday, 9 Feb., the minister’s final day in Cayman, Sharpe said he appreciated that all 11 invited territories attended the conference.
“It’s a testament to the strength of the skills that are in place locally,” he said, labelling the Cayman Islands an “exemplar” in the area.
Sharpe addresses border management
When asked whether the UK would be offering organisations like the Coast Guard any new financial support, Sharpe said he wasn’t in a position to find funding. However, he said the UK is offering training for efficiently deploying assets.
While the UK and Cayman face some differences in how to manage immigration issues, he said they do share some similarities, like the need to address asylum processes.
“The drivers of illegal immigration tend to be similar wherever you are,” he said, noting that climate change and economic challenges are important factors to consider in the future management of border control. “These are global challenges that we are all going to have to face up to, one way or another.”
In an overall summary of his visit, Sharpe said he was “incredibly impressed with the professionalism, dedication and general excellence” of the people he met.
Prison upgrades still promised
While Owen said upgrades to the prisons are planned, they may not necessarily allow for maximum security confinement.
Douglas and Ramoon continue to fight against their transfer to the UK’s most secure prison, HMP Belmarsh. At the end of last year, they challenged the transfer as a violation of their human rights.
“I know that the government continues to look at their prison facilities and how they could be upgraded in various different ways, not just in terms of maximum security,” the governor said.
She added that includes both capacity and the quality of the prisons, but noted there are many demands on the national budget.
“One thing I would say about the prison is that the good thing is that we have a very, very high quality of staff, although it doesn’t compensate for the quality of the physical surroundings,” she said. “But I think it does make a real difference to have such good leadership and commitment from all of the staff in the prison.”
Prison upgrades have been a point of debate for more than a decade, with a 2020 report by a prisons watchdog calling the cells at HMP Northward “not fit for human habitation”.
In the latest budget, government has allocated $7.4 million in 2024 and $4.2 million in 2025 for improvements to the prison facilities.
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