PHILIPSBURG:--- The Law Enforcement Council (Council) is deeply concerned about the current rehabilitation (care and treatment) of juvenile males, which no longer appears to completely be a priority due to the changes and current situation at the Miss Lalie Centre (MLC). Although the staff are doing their best, they are faced with a largely unworkable situation. The lack of available resources leads to several serious bottlenecks in critical areas such as education, daily activities, maintenance and safety. In addition to bottlenecks such as the lack of financial, material, and human resources, the decision to detain adult males in the MLC is seen as a bottleneck. This decision has a particularly negative impact on the manner and timing of daily activities and education offered to juveniles. The Council therefore concludes that the primary objective of the MLC is being undermined by the current situation. As in 2020, the social interests and rights of juveniles in the MLC are still at stake as a result of the current state of affairs.
Implementation recommendations
In 2016, the Council published a report on the MLC, in which it made eight recommendations to the Minister of Justice. A review inspection in 2020 showed that one recommendation had been fully implemented. Five recommendations were partially implemented, and two recommendations were not implemented. In 2024, the Council conducted its second review of the extent to which the recommendations on the MLC had been implemented.
This second review inspection shows that the seven recommendations that were not (fully) implemented previously have still not been implemented. The MLC still does not have sufficient resources, a fully-fledged personnel policy, a fully-fledged and useful daily program and sufficiently trained security personnel, and physical security has not been adjusted. These issues are therefore still assessed as partially implemented. In addition, the MLC still does not have a fully-fledged education program or an emergency plan. These recommendations have still not been implemented.
Strategic steering
Based on the review inspection, the Council concludes that there is a lack of steering on the implementation of the recommendations at the strategic level by the Minister of Justice, who is responsible for this. There appears to be a lack of awareness of the urgency of addressing the situation at the MLC. The Council believes that tackling the overarching problem of youth crime and, with it, the possibilities within youth detention, is and must remain a high priority. In its latest report on the State of Law Enforcement 2024, the Council also drew specific attention to the issues relating to the youth in Sint Maarten and would like to refer to the content of that report in this context.
Recommendation
In view of the current findings and state of affairs at the MLC, the Council urges the Minister of Justice to prioritize the MLC and take immediate action. This should certainly be done with the rights of the child in mind. It is time for action.
The full inspection report and all other publications of the Council, including the State of Law Enforcement in Sint Maarten 2024, are available digitally on the Council's new website: www.raadrh.com.
