Groundbreaking set for new Point Blanche prison as Kingdom partners advance detention reform

GREAT BAY--According to Dutch news a groundbreaking ceremony for St. Maarten’s new prison is scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2026, marking a long-awaited step in the modernization of the detention sector after years of delay. The ceremony forms part of a working visit by Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Foort van Oosten, who is traveling to Saba and St. Maarten from January 12 to 16 to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security across the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.

During the visit, Minister van Oosten and St. Maarten’s Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling will tour the Point Blanche prison and also meet with the Coast Guard.

The new prison project is planned in phases. Phase one is expected to increase capacity from 80 to 120 cells by the first quarter of 2027. Phase two, planned for 2028, is intended to bring total capacity to 196 cells. Government has indicated that the 196-cell target reflects regional trends and what St. Maarten can sustain within the national budget, noting that earlier references to a roughly 300-cell facility are not financially feasible.

Alongside the construction track, justice authorities have emphasized that operational readiness and rehabilitation reforms are moving forward in parallel. A key component is the four-year, €3.8 million ADVANCE-SXM initiative, launched through an agreement signed on July 31, 2025 between the Ministry of Justice and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The program focuses on strengthening rehabilitation and reintegration at Point Blanche through education, vocational training, remunerated work opportunities, and mental health support, while also upgrading staff training, policies, procedures, and accountability mechanisms. Preparations under ADVANCE-SXM are also intended to support the transition to the new facility through updated operating processes, staffing plans, and equipment and training needs.

These efforts align with the broader US $52 million Detention Sector Reform Program (DSRP), which was officially launched at a press conference as a comprehensive framework to reshape how detention is operated in St. Maarten. Under the DSRP, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is expected to support delivery of a modern detention facility designed to meet international standards, with expanded capacity and dedicated spaces for education, health care, mental health services, vocational programming, family visits, and recreation.

The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) is managing the reform program, with officials clarifying that this management role is separate from the trust fund component the public may associate with NRPB’s work. UNODC’s role in the reform includes supporting the transition process and strengthening leadership and training for justice professionals, with an emphasis on preparing staff for the operational shift from the current prison to the new facility over the coming years.

Officials have framed the combined approach as an investment in safer working conditions for staff, improved rehabilitation outcomes for those in custody, and stronger public confidence through a more humane, professional, and accountable detention system.

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