by Linda Straker
- 428 inmates at 1881-built prison at Richmond Hill as of December 2022
- Current facility overcrowded
- Major component of prison reform is new prison with solitary confinement facility
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has announced that Government will be undertaking prison reform, and a major component of that reform is the building of a new prison that will have the ability to put dangerous criminals in solitary confinement.
“The compound was built centuries ago; it has almost 400 inmates most of whom are men, in fact the number of women is inconsequential. We need prison reform, and we need a new prison,” he told supporters during a townhall meeting.
The meeting was organised by Government to mark its second anniversary in office since winning the June 2022 general elections.
He said, “The prison was built centuries ago and it’s overcrowded. I have been a lawyer for 22 years, at least for 22 years I know it has been overcrowded; it is something we have to address because the prison also poses a national security risk.”
“So, if you have overcrowding, if you don’t have the right facilities, if you have very dangerous criminals who have no sense of moral compass, who will kill for no reason, then you are dealing with animals and you have to have them in solitary confinement all the time,” said the Prime Minister who also holds the ministerial portfolio of national security.
“Let us be clear there are people who will kill you for no reason. We have some of them at the prison, but we have little capacity for solitary confinement because of the overcrowding.” He pointed out that another challenge at the prison is human resources. “I am saying that too has to be addressed, that too was left to fester for decades …we will tackle it head on,” he told the meeting.
Grenada has one prison or correctional facility for adult males and females. As of December 2022, there were 428 inmates at the 1881-built facility located at Richmond Hill, St George.
If the new law regarding firearms or ammunition possession is in place the government will need a far bigger prison to hold people for 5 to 40 years for those offenses.