Minister for National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore has reported a significant decrease in the remand population at the Dominica State Prison in the recent past.
During his tour of a newly built remand centre, Blackmoore stated, “…I must say we have seen a significant drop in the remand population in the recent past. We’re now down to 83. Eighty-three people are actually on remand…”
This number is decreased from a reported 143 inmates on remand.
According to the minister, the overall number of incarcerations is down, adding that the goal of the current administration is to reduce the number of Dominicans incarcerated to an insignificant number.
“We are at a point right now in the history as a Dominican community, where we have 191 people incarcerated. That is much lower than what obtains in the 90s,” claims Blackmoore.
He also highlighted that he believes that, along with reduction, rehabilitation is the path forward.
“For me as a minister in the Labour Party administration, it’s to place emphasis on rehabilitation. And going forward we’ll be looking at a number of inmates who have been incarcerated for non-violent crimes,” he stated. “And that is why we’re placing emphasis on number of rehabilitation programs as we speak. To ensure that when they [leave] the prison setting, they can contribute towards a mentioned society. They will have been better individuals.”
While commenting on the amenities of the facility, the minister asserted that even while awaiting trial or in prison there are certain basic human rights that has to be afforded to the prisoner.
Meanwhile, speaking from the centre, Superintendent of the Dominica State Prison, Jeffrey Edmond, explained that the facility was conceptualized by his predecessor Mr. Kenrick Jean Jacques.
“A facility was used for inmates, but because of the number of remands in custody an alternate facility was conceptualized,” he stated. “As a result, this facility was built.”
He continued, “As we speak there are 11 cells; each cell has 3 bunks so 3 persons are housed per cell.”
The Superintendent added that the building also houses washroom facilities in each cell.
He explained that due to a few operational challenges the whole facility has not been used, “but very soon it will be commissioned.”
So you are telling me if for example in the last 10 years 1,000 people were born 500 die 2000 travel from out of Dominica to live,and are living in Dominica the population is 500?The population is 2,500.Population is people living ON island.
BS,Juanita,the last sensus in Dominica was in 2011,16 years you cannot determine population based on birth rate and death.Hundreds of children are born out of Dominica,after birth they are brought back to Dominica to live and attend school.There are thousands of foreigners living in Dominica who were not born there.Population is people LIVING in Dominica.Presently hundreds of retired born Dominicans are returning.It is a fact that Dominican women are not making children IN Dominica,it does not mean they are not making children outside of Dominica.Reality has a point,too many people are sent to jail for minor offences.Too many people are on remand for minor offences.
release more prisoners and make space for the current government to be locked up in there and all there assets seized and return to the Treasury of dominica and the Dominican people
Not that fellas not fighting, but the decriminalized zeb takes care of closer to 40% of this decline. Legalize it so that at least CBD and its benefits will be available locally, and then you may have to use a small school affected by our population decline to house the few criminals left. Ask Mark.
Rehabilitation of criminals in prison is a noble ideal. I’m in fully support of this initiative. My hope is that this would significantly reduce recidivism.
One of the major problems of the whole judicial system lies with the magistrate and high court systems. It takes almost an eternity for cases to be tried and disposed of. Too many accused persons remain on remand for much too long. Delayed justice is injustice.
Cases before the court should be tried expeditiously; prison officers should be well trained; the basic amenities at the prison must be adequate.
I hope Mr. Black Moore is not engaging in propaganda but is genuinely dedicated to authentic reforms at the state prison.
Delayed justice is injustice – true!
And such injustice as delayed justice leads to fast and furious justice, of the magistrates.
Because if you don’t want to be better, you cannot keep your roles as defenders of humanity.
Too much pressure?
Resign!
Keep your dignity!
Let others do better!
Or you be better!
Immediately!
Following Mr. McCarthy Marie’s March 10, 2026, op-ed here on DNO, captioned: “Dominica’s Demographic Emergency” , it is worth scrutinizing the Minister’s report of a “significant decrease in the remand population” as well as a decrease in “overall incarceration.” Mr. Marie highlights a critical demographic crisis—where deaths now exceed births—which provides essential context to the Minister’s statistics. Before celebrating a decline in the inmate population, did the Minister analyze these figures against population growth since the 1990s? Without an adjustment for such changes, it is impossible to determine whether the incarceration rate has truly decreased or if it simply means that we have less people in Dominica.
In a real country both mister and his boss would either be remanded or jailed. So since both he and his boss are not jailed then every single person in there should be set free, since their crimes are more severe than that of any inside now