Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon.
This afternoon it gives me great pleasure to share with Madame Deputy
Prime Minister in announcing that the Perry Christie’s Government
has approved for construction a major 300 cell block expansion facility
at Her Majesty Prison, Fox Hill.
By way of background the Progressive Liberal
Party, in its pre-election platform, pledged
To make reform of Her Majesty’s Prison in Fox Hill an integral part of its crime fighting strategy.
This need was further amplified by Amnesty International in its 2002 Annual Report which described prison conditions in the Bahamas as representing “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment”.
On October 21, 2002 the Government of The Bahamas appointed an 18-member
Prison Reform Commission headed by Criminologist; Dr. Elliston Rahming
to undertake a strategic review of Her Majesty’s Prison in Fox Hill.
The Commission had 12 specific mandates which included:
A key recommendation was to build a new maximum security unit as
the present unit was deemed to be filthy and that most of the mechanical
systems including utilities either did not work or only worked sometimes.
Also that the cells are dark and cluttered with posters and other paraphernalia;
mold and mildew were evident with high levels of humidity and heat contributing
to unhealthy conditions.
For many years Her Majesty’s Prison has suffered severely from a chronic space shortage to accommodate persons who are incarcerated as the maximum security unit was designed as an old fortress in 1952 some 53 years ago.
Over crowding of inmates at the Prison has been and still is a very vexing problem, which begs for an effective and meaningful solution in order to create more humane conditions for those persons who find themselves being put away from ordinary society for various breaches of the law.
This afternoon therefore, the Government is pleased to execute a contract to engage the Firm of Axum Architecture, a fully Bahamian Company of seasoned Architects to provide full architectural, engineering and quantity surveying services in the design and supervision of a new 300 cell facility for inmates.
I am advised that in order for the Maximum Security Prison to function properly, efficiently and be void of contamination, the architectural design concept is envisioned to locate this new building separately from the existing facility.
The building is expected to have about 80,000 square feet for inmates’ personal use, and about 20,000 square feet of other support space. The facility is also likely to be of a 2-storey level, with the concept of safety for both inmates and Prison Officers being an integral part of the architectural design.
I am further advised that the 300 cell building will be designed to accommodate a specific ratio of inmates to Prison Officers to achieve functional and maximize administrative/security control. Each cell will have a modern combo unit or restroom space consisting of vandal resistant toilet and face bowl fixtures. In addition to the combo unit for each cell, each range or group of inmates’ cells will be provided with a shower block.
It is anticipated that when the Consultant Architectural Firm completes the design and construction documents, prison inmates will provide the major labour force.
When completed, the Government of Prime Minister Christie is expected to have invested more than $6 million to construct the facility.
Construction is expected to commence during the first quarter of 2006, with a projected construction period of 18 months. Further, the technical officers of my Ministry will monitor and work closely with the Consultant Architects and others to ensure that the project will be completed within a timely manner, and that the Government receives value for money.
Ladies and gentleman - Thank you and good afternoon