St. Lucia Minister of National Security Hermangild Francis has sought to downplay suggestions that prisoners being brought to St Lucia from the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean islands in the BVI and the Turks and Caicos Islands are a high risk.
Nothing indicates high risk
“People are saying they are high risk. I have not seen anything indicating that they are high risk. All I’ve been told is that they’re prisoners who are in need of shelter. So, we have decided to accepted to house as many prisoners as we could,” Francis said.
27 prisoners transferred
Seven prisoners from the British Virgin Islands (BVI) arrived in St. Lucia on Tuesday along with three others from the Turks and Caicos Islands and another 10 from BVI on Wednesday. This brings to 27 the total number of criminals currently being jailed in St. Lucia from the two British Overseas Territories.
It is unclear what crimes the prisoners committed, or how long will they be kept in St. Lucia. Minister Francis could not confirm whether or not more prisoners would be coming to St. Lucia to continue serving their prison sentences.
Can accommodate up to 40 prisoners
But the St. Lucia Minister Francis said that is willing to accommodate up to 40 prisoners given that the current low occupancy level at Bordelais Correctional prison. He also said the transferred prisoners are being separated from local prison population.
