Chief Sec­re­tary Far­ley Au­gus­tine is push­ing for a new cor­rec­tion­al fa­cil­i­ty on the is­land—one large enough to keep in­mates close to their fam­i­lies and sup­port prop­er re­ha­bil­i­ta­tion—since the ex­ist­ing prison in Scar­bor­ough has been crum­bling, perched on a cliff­side and at risk of falling in­to the sea.

Due to its size, the prison can­not ac­com­mo­date many in­mates, and as a re­sult, sev­er­al are sent to Trinidad. Fam­i­ly and friends must trav­el there each time they want to vis­it.

Asked about plans for a new prison, giv­en that the cur­rent one sits on land now at risk of falling in­to the sea, Au­gus­tine told Guardian Me­dia, “Yes, in fact, we have had talks since the last regime was there,” adding that these dis­cus­sions have con­tin­ued un­der the new gov­ern­ment.