First group of 14 Surinamese prison officers to deploy to St. Maarten starting March 1

GREAT BAY--A team of 14 Surinamese penitentiary officers is scheduled to arrive in St. Maarten on March 1, 2026, following a cooperation agreement signed yesterday between Suriname and St. Maarten to reinforce detention operations, with immediate focus on the Point Blanche Prison complex.

The first contingent of fourteen officers has been described as carefully selected. Their deployment will be reviewed after six months, and if additional support is required, a second group may be sent. The overall support window is expected to last about one year.

The agreement was signed by Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath and St. Maarten’s Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling. Under the arrangement, Suriname will provide temporary technical assistance through a delegation of correctional officers tasked with knowledge transfer and operational support for a defined period, after which the Surinamese personnel will return home.

During this period, St. Maarten is expected to accelerate recruitment and selection of its own personnel to address long-standing staffing capacity constraints on a structural basis. The request for assistance was submitted in November 2025.

Minister Tackling expressed appreciation for the support and signaled interest in expanding cooperation with Suriname into other areas of justice in the future. The negotiations and coordination of the agreement were handled by Mrs. Acton, policy advisor to Minister Monorath.

Regional cooperation framework

The agreement is tied to a 2023 letter of intent signed by Suriname, St. Maarten, Aruba, and Curaçao aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, including collaboration on cross-border crime, security, and broader institutional strengthening across the justice chain.

Suriname’s Ministry of Justice and Police said the agreement reflects its commitment to regional partnership, institutional strengthening, and supporting security and law enforcement outcomes.

Based on what has been released so far, key operational points remain unclear:

• The exact duties of the 14 officers (shift coverage, escort, training, etc.)

• Housing, insurance, and total costs, including who pays travel and per diem

• Whether the deployment targets specific risk areas at Point Blanche

• Whether the agreement includes training modules and measurable outputs

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