PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Last Month inmates at Point Blanche Prison in Sint Maarten participated in the first religious services held at the facility in eight (8) months. The resumption of religious programming, following a suspension, marks an important step in expanding opportunities for spiritual support, personal development, and positive engagement with the wider community as part of the prison’s broader rehabilitation efforts.
The first services on August 1st and 2nd, conducted jointly by the Anglican and Moravian Churches of Sint Maarten, both members of the Christian Council, provided an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and spiritual connection. The gathering brought together faith and community and highlighted the important role that spiritual care can play within a correctional environment.
Archdeacon Terrence Rawlings, President of the Christian Council, who delivered the sermon, reflected on the significance of the occasion, stating: “It is encouraging to see such a good turnout and to know the inmates asked for this themselves. We will be back.”
In the weeks following this, churches and faith communities have been mobilized to participate through collaboration with the Sint Maarten Christian Council, the Sint Maarten United Ministerial Foundation (SMUMF), the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), and more partners who have supported this cause in the past.
Providing regular opportunities for worship and spiritual engagement contributes to a humane and rehabilitative prison environment and reflects the principles set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). Rule 2 requires that “the religious beliefs and moral precepts of prisoners shall be respected,” while Rule 66 further provides that, so far as practicable, every prisoner shall be allowed to satisfy the needs of their religious life by attending religious services provided in the prison and by having in their possession religious books.
This initiative will strengthen partnerships between the prison and faith communities while contributing to prisoner wellbeing, reintegration, and overall positive engagement with society.
This initiative is delivered under the Detention Sector Reform Program (DSRP), co-funded by the Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten and the Government of the Netherlands, and implemented through a partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
