Former prime minister Stuart Young said while the concept of the isolation of high-risk prisoners to a single building at the Maximum Security Prison, Arouca, worked in the beginning, continuation of the programme was under the control of the Prisons Service.

Speaking at a media conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port of Spain on July 29, Young said the concept of Building 13 was formulated under his tenure as national security minister.

“The concept for Building 13 at the time was conceptualised under the previous administration with me as national security minister but sitting down with the then commissioner of police (Gary) Griffith, the then Chief of Defence Staff, who is still the Chief of Defence Staff, the head of the SSA and the commissioner of prisons.