New pre-fabricated custody suites that will hold persons waiting to be charged should be operational within the next six weeks, says the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA).

The temperature-controlled, hurricane resistant buildings arrived on Island on Saturday 12 April 2014 and will house up to 24 inmates— a maximum of two to each cell.

Already sitting on top of locally built foundations, the structure came pre-wired and pre-plumbed. Work still to be done includes external electrical and plumbing, as well as health and safety features, such as the installation of an external pump for the fire sprinkler system. There will also be site works for parking and driveways

Following a tender process, the Ministry purchased the structure from United States firm (Eagle Companies, of Illinois for just over USD $2.1 million. The new buildings will bring local detention facilities in line with the standard demanded by the Bill of Rights, local prison inspectors and by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in the United Kingdom.

Among the features that ensure the facility is human-rights compliant, MOHA’s Deputy Chief Officer (Public Safety and Security) Wesley Howell notes: “The rooms are designed to allow detainees a certain amount of personal space. In addition the rooms have been constructed in such a way as to minimise opportunities for prisoners to self-harm.”

“Furthermore, recent policy changes have reduced the number of hours that the RCIPS   normally holds persons in detention from 72 to 48. This should reduce the total number of people in lock-up at any given time. As such it will be our policy to occupy rooms based on single occupancy first before moving to double occupancy,” Mr. Howell adds.

In addition to cells, the suites include a breathalyser room, interview rooms, a visitation room and various other facilities.

The new custody suites are located at the rear of Fairbanks Prison.

Pics MOHA

Captions:

1.         The new pre-fabricated custody suites that will house persons waiting to be charged.

2.         Another section of the facility which arrived on Island last Saturday.