Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:7 hours 57 min ago
Talks continue...
Caroni lands for prison complex
Published: 7 Nov 2009
Recruits from Batch 381 show their vault skills at the Passing Out Parade Thursday evening at Golden Grove Prison, Arouca. Photo: Jennifer Watson
Minister in the Ministry of National Security Donna Cox says there are ongoing discussions with stakeholders with respect to a prison complex on Caroni lands.
She was speaking in a brief interview at the passing out parade at the Golden Grove Prison, Arouca on Thursday. “The land was bought already and we are waiting to see what the prison services wants and what they would like. The State needs to find more space and approval for 50 acres of land,” she said. The modern services includes the construction of a correctional complex in Central Trinidad, prison complex in Tobago, visitor facility at Golden Grove Prison and prison officers training facility. Cox said the government had been actively looking for land, but land owners had beentheir prices when the government attempted to purchase property. “Land is expensive. When we (government) approached them the prices went up when they knew it was the government,” she said. Referring to the Chaguaramas heliport, Cox said arrangements were ongoing for a container to house officers who wait to go to the Carrera Island Prison.
The area has improved, she said. With regards to the investigation into the alleged 2005 and 2006 Budget acquisition allocation of $3 million to source a launch, she said: “I was not there (in government) at the time.” Cox said parking accommodations for the officers at the Port-of-Spain Prison were being arranged. “The project manager is looking for land for a parking lot. We have approached the Ministry of Agriculture and Community Development for land at the Queen’s Park Savannah,” she said. Meanwhile, Cox said the Ministry strongly condemned the shooting of prison officer, Anthony Sinanan. “It was an act of violence against officers and we see it as an act on law enforcement on the whole.” “I hope that this is an isolated incident and not the beginning of open warfare against hardworking, dedicated and responsible prison officers. I wish to assure you that this incident would not be treated lightly,” Cox said.
She said the fight against crime was the government’s number one priority and the forefront of its agenda. The parade was in honour of 198 new recruits. The crowds praised the drills in self defence, agility, vaults, baton and crowd control. Acting Commissioner of Prisons, Martin Martinez, warned the new officers that they could be targeted, injured and even killed. “I hope the episode on Monday was not the beginning of a dark night,” Martinez said. He said the officers should not see themselves as guards to deprive people of their liberty, or vigilantes, whose business is to inflict punishment already imposed by the judicial authorities. “Instead you must see yourselves as career prison officers,” Martinez said.
Did you read recently that
Did you read recently that Saudi Arabia, publicly executed the convicted person by chopping off his head and putting the head on a long post for all to see what happens to serious crime -lawbreakers. Thats the other side of administering justice, but hear this, if the PNM taking Caroni lands to house its supporters, then building a huge prison complex near these supporters shows insensitivity. Its bit risky though, Put the prisons on the Islands where if they escape they need swim for it and have a few hungry sharks patrolling the prison island. Come on, you just cant use good agricultural lands: 50 acres, to build a prison? you see?whose idea was this? some think tank consultant again?
CARONI LANDS - PRISON
CARONI LANDS - PRISON COMPLEX:-
Ms. Cox, what insensitivity! Caroni lands should be used for nothing other than agriculture. This government is on a rampage to destroy all our fertile lands. When we abuse and destroy what nature provides to us, we pay the ultimate price in the long run. Do we have anyone in gov't who has a logical thinking brain, or have they all been lobotomized.
There is a First Nation/American Indian saying that:-
"You take from the Earth with a PLEASE, and you give back with a THANK YOU." So you see Ms Cox, contemplating putting a prison on this land will be a violation of the highest order, as you will be destroying that which you cannot replace.
Instead of this government flapping their gums and repeating incessantly that they are concerned about the rapidly rising rate of crime in this country, we would like to see them doing something of substance to curb its rise, and reduce the plague destroying us. So Ms. Cox spend your time, energy and money on this end of the spectrum and work at it until you get a handle on crime. Prevention and cure should be the watchwords for this government, not expansion.
It is unconscientionable for you to even mention about putting a PRISON complex on Caroni lands. Your 'partners in crime' have built gov't houses in some of these once peaceful areas, and have let loose the terror of some of the people you have brought into these communities, making their lives a living hell. Now you are talking about putting this prison complex there too. Woman, please have a heart.
The site of the Aluminium Smelter Plant in south would be an ideal area, if you should be forced to expand your prison community. Get rid of your plans for this 'plague' of a smelter plant and if you still need prison space, then use this site for your prison community. But expanding your prison real estate would send a very strong message to ALL that you are loosing your fight in your battle to curb crime, and that you have failed in your governance, miserably.
Use Nelson Island for your surplus prison population, if you must, but keep your hands off the Caroni Lands.
I hope the people in Cental will not sit still and allow you to violate and destroy their community any further.
Common Sense is required.
Gardenia
Hail Gardenia, well said. I
Hail Gardenia, well said. I forgot the agriculture part. You see Parsanlal saying goverment make mistakes and Now the next day we hear this about taking 50 acres of prime agricultural land for a prison. What utter stupidity? Again, I ask who recommends these ideas to the ministers? There is probably a mole in the government think tanks- a high mole, who is out to embarrass the Government? Agree lets use Nelson Island. Trinidad does not want a prison in agricultural lands. We have plans for these lands.
Trinidad is a jail,
Trinidad is a jail, virtually.
With bandits on the loose and doing pretty much what they want in TT, the whole country is now like a virtual prison. We the law-abiding citizens are like prisoners in our own homes, under self-imposed 'house arrest'behind our burglar bars.
So, respectfully, Madam Minister, go put your money behind improving the police service so they will respond more quickly, or even respond at all; put more police patrols on the streets, towns villages, tracks and traces; give the police modern equipment such as computers linked to a database as well as to Licencing Office in every police car; strengthen, not weaken as seems to be the case, the whole judiciary; encourage healthy family life in inner city areas that breed criminals; improve your sporting and other recreational facilities to give the youth a chance to pursue meaningful activities; get rid of the drug blocks; rid the country of guns; improve the education system drastically so that people will be literate enough to get a good job.
Things will get worse, not better, Madam Minister, as the young adults graduating from secondary school are barely literate and seem to be frustrated and increasingly restless, many will turn to violence. I'm no 'doom and gloom' man. Face the facts, in less than three years violent crime is likely to triple, given the current trends. This is no idle talk.
Build hopes and dreams, not jails.
ajfyzabadbutlertown
With the sugar cane industry
With the sugar cane industry non existent, 50 acres of the Caroni lands is not unreasonable for the Government to build a prison. I would also like to suggest moving the Licencing office from Wrightson Road and also give them a 50 acre plot to centralize their operations. This would also ease up on the traffic in town.
The Minister spoke about
The Minister spoke about improved visitor facilities. I hope that consideration be given to providing a room where the visitor can sit at a table and speak with the inmate or probably with the aid of a telephone looking at each other through a clear glass. This system which presently exists where one has to stand about 10 feet away and shout to their families/friends who are on the other side behind an enclosure is nothing close to 20/20 vision. None of your business is private as everyone hears what everyone is saying. Why are we always behind, doing things the way it was done in the 1950's? Please Madam Minister let us get it right before 2020.
Sorry SaD Trini, we need
Sorry SaD Trini, we need every bit of good lands when we reinvent agriculture in a big way. Trinidad is only a small country. There are lots of swamps near Manzanilla you could reclaim for prison or use an island off the Gulf. Prison is prison there is no joy in it. Prison cant take our agriculture lands.
This idea is so stupid ...
This idea is so stupid ... What can I say?
Which sane government will take prime agricultural lands to build a prison complex? People who are imprisoned should be made to work to feed themselves, pay for board and lodge and make amends to the families of those they wronged. My tax dollars should not be feeding them, clothing them and housing them !
If that is too hard.... When they are caught in the act SHOOT THEM and make it one less criminal in our society or start back hanging them high. The only sad thing for me is that I can't really differentiate police from thief !
When will we see the end of
When will we see the end of this insanity raining down on us?
Who in their right mind would even think of putting up a huge prison complex in one of the greenest belts in Trinidad & Tobago, prime fertile agricultural land, fertilised by the sweat, blood and tears of so many slaves and indentured labourers and their respective descendants?
We have become a food importing nation, victim of the vicissitudes of price and supply of food and agricultural products. PNM governments have paid lip service to agriculture and by their neglect of this sector have put the nation's food security at risk.
Instead of encouraging and developing agriculture they have developed a dependency syndrome of URP, CPEP and like parasitic systems and institutions. And now they are seeking to plant a prison complex in agricultural lands instead of planting food to feed the people.
We already know that the oil and gas are running out and prices on which tax revenues are based are highly volatile and unstable. Where then will we get the foreign currency to pay for our food imports? We already have been warned by the UN FAO that the world is not producing sufficient food to feed the growing population. We have seen where some food exporting countries have witheld food exports in times of crisis to satisfy their own population.
We are members of the FAO and pay for for this membership. What do we do with the Reports they produce or with the information that comes out in the deliberations of this Organisation at the meetings we attend? Do we actually read or study these documents or do we just file them or bin them?
The need to build more and more prisons is a sign and message that the Authorities have been making a hash of dealing with crime and punishment. Before you can truly deal with crime you need to identify and deal with the causes of crime, otherwise you'll be like a dog forever trying to catch its tail, like trying to spin top in mud.
If you're not up to the task, please admit it and let others have a turn. Nobody else could do worse than this morally and intellectually bankrupt bunch. I wouldn't even trust them with running a parlour. It would go bust in two twos.