Philipsburg, St. Maarten – Recovery efforts at the Point Blanche Prison remain ongoing following the May 14 riot and fire. The Ministry of Justice continues to lead efforts focused on safety, stabilization, and restoring essential services at the facility.
Given ongoing safety concerns and updated assessments by the Prison Director and Crisis Management Team, the Minister has extended the temporary suspension of inmate rights and privileges for another 72 hours, effective May 21, 2025. These measures remain necessary while the situation stabilizes.
Operational support has grown with continued assistance from Kingdom partners. Two correctional officers from Curaçao arrived yesterday, and fourteen police officers from Aruba and Curaçao are being deployed to assist KPSM in maintaining safety and order. Of those fourteen, three were sworn in yesterday by Minister Tackling, with the remaining eleven arriving today.
Specialized deep-cleaning is also scheduled to begin today, following VSA’s health and safety recommendations. To support this phase, UNOPS is sending a security expert to provide guidance on emergency coordination, incident command, and recovery planning.
Infrastructure work is progressing. Electricity has been restored to critical areas of the facility, and discussions are taking place with VROMI to advance the new facility building and civil works permit process. As part of temporary measures to support inmate well-being and maintain structure within the facility, board games, and puzzles were introduced to promote constructive activity and emotional stability during this period.
The Ministry remains focused on restoring order and safety, with continued support from local
