CLEAN-UP CONVICTS

Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, announced plans to reintroduce 'hard labour' for convicted offenders, integrating them into public clean-up initiatives. Alexander stated that the current prison system does not adequately reflect the concept of hard labour, with inmates often idle and engaged in activities like using phones or the internet. The proposed program aims to deploy prisoners in public maintenance, allowing them to contribute to society while serving their sentences.

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We are going to reintroduce (a programme) where persons who have been charged, convicted by a court, and sentenced to hard labour, we are going to reintroduce those persons to come back out into the streets and help with the clean-up process.

Alexander emphasized that this initiative would offer prisoners a chance to rebuild their reputations and begin reintegrating into the public before completing their sentences. He highlighted that similar programs have been successful in other territories. The minister also pointed out that the nation's prisons represent a significant labor force that the government intends to utilize more effectively.

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If you are convicted, 12 months or two years’ hard labour, whatever...what does hard labour in the jail do? A man just sitting in a cell. A man is smoking, on his phone, on the Internet and all these things. That is not hard labour. That is not hard work.

Gerard Gordon, representing the Prison Officers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago, described the proposal as a positive step, acknowledging that meaningful work is crucial for rehabilitation. He stated that the principle of expanding inmate participation in public maintenance is laudable, as it helps incarcerated individuals develop skills, instill discipline, and prepare for societal reintegration. However, Gordon cautioned that several issues need to be addressed, including strict eligibility requirements, medical examinations, and ensuring inmates are certified as medically fit for such work before the initiative is broadly implemented.

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If someone is smart on the inside, he can use this process to start to reintegrate himself into the public. Let the public see (him and say), ‘listen, that fella is hard-working.’