Hinds: Young offender projects under review

OPPOSITION MPs on Monday complained of nothing being spent last year on certain projects to rehabilitate and care for young offenders.

This was listed in the 2024 budget's estimates of expenditure for development for the Prison Service under the Ministry of National Security allocation.

Line minister Fitzgerald Hinds said two projects were under review.

The Standing Finance Committee continued to examine the budget estimates in the House of Representatives on Monday.

Firstly, Naparima MP Rodney Charles asked about zero spent in 2023 – out of $200,000 initially allocated – and $200,000 again allocated for 2024 for the "programme for the rehabilitation of young offenders."

Hinds explained the 2023 non-spend by saying the prison service was developing new programmes in line with best international practice.

Oropouche West MP Davendranath Tancoo asked about $2 million allocated last year for a "community residence/rehabilitation centre for female child offenders" of which nothing was spent, but for which $1 million was allocated this year.

Hinds replied that for some technical reason the Government had to abandon its procurement for this project.

"I can't tell you the exact reason at this point, but it had to be abandoned and we had to restart that.

"I can tell you, though, that we have, with the resources we already had, created a space for the few female offenders we have at that institution (Women's Prison), making sure that in accordance with best practice and our laws around the regime of children, that they are separate from the adults."

The new project was on the way, he said.

Tancoo asked if the $1 million was for an existing or new facility. Hinds said it was for an "improvement of the circumstances that now exist."

Tancoo said if the $1 million was for an enhancement of existing infrastructure, it would be listed under an existing line item, but in fact was listed as a new item.

Hinds replied, "We have some legal dictates that govern the way we must deal with the youngsters and this is for the improvement of our facility in this regard.

"At the moment, though, those few that we do have, we have made provision for them and they are being kept in those circumstances."

Earlier the committee examined the ministry's recurrent expenditure.

Secondly, Charles asked if a $1.5 million reduction in allocation to Vision on Mission (VOM) – from $7.2 million estimated for 2023, to $6.5 million revised for 2023, to $5.0 million estimated for 2024 – would affect the NGO's ability to carry out its function, the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners.

Hinds replied, "We are confident that with this allocation, VOM can carry out its function."

He attributed the reduction to the Government's shift in looking at crime as a public health issue, with an increasing focus on aspects like education, health, housing and social services. Hinds related that VOM was an agency and had first been recognised by his Government, which had offered it an allocation.

He noted that every individual and organisation wants more funding even as he praised the Ministry of Energy for filling a $14 billion budget gap.

Thirdly, Tancoo asked about last year's allocation to the National Crime Prevention Programme of $600,000, of which just $188,000 was spent, but with the 2024 allocation again $600,000. Hinds said with the Government's shift to viewing crime as a public health issue, that line item was now under review.

Tancoo asked what was not done last year and why the same initial sum was being allocated this year.

Hinds replied,"The entire programme is under review." He said he was seeing whether the programme could be incorporated into other things.

Otherwise, Charles referred to Prison Officers Association head Gerard Gordon describing the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) as "a ticking time bomb" in need of an infrastructure upgrade, including an improved alarm system. He cited a $2.5 million allocation for a new system.

Hinds said a contractor had been given a down payment and the alarm system was due for completion in May 2024.