A wave of inmate unrest sparked by widespread misinformation about the expiration of a national state of emergency forced authorities to suspend all public and legal visits at Trinidad and Tobago’s Eastern Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC) on Wednesday, multiple official and institutional sources have confirmed.
The chaos erupted shortly after scheduled visiting hours kicked off at 9 a.m., when dozens of detainees became increasingly agitated after learning they would not be released as they had expected. The incorrect belief that the ongoing state of emergency (SoE) would end on June 3 had spread through informal channels among the inmate population, leading many to anticipate imminent release. When that expectation went unmet, detainees launched repeated disruptive actions that derailed normal facility operations for hours.
Prison insiders told local media outlet the Express that the unrest unfolded in at least two to three separate outbursts throughout the morning. Inmates engaged in escalating disorderly conduct, including sustained loud commotion and the throwing of human waste, as tensions climbed across the facility. Administration officials made multiple attempts to restore order and resume pre-scheduled visits, but each effort was met with renewed unrest.
By 1 p.m., with safety risks mounting for both visiting members of the public and on-duty correctional staff, prison management made the call to suspend all visitations indefinitely. The suspension extended even to confidential meetings between defense attorneys and their incarcerated clients, a rare step that underscored the severity of the situation.
In an official statement released the same day, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), the union representing correctional staff across the country, confirmed it had been notified of the unrest immediately after it began. “Our understanding is that a number of detainees, believing they were due to be released today (Wednesday), became agitated and engaged in disruptive behaviour at various times throughout the day,” the association said.
The POA voiced full backing for the decision to halt visitor access, framing the move as an unavoidable step to protect all people inside the facility. “In the interest of maintaining order and ensuring the safety of all concerned, prison management took the decision to suspend visits to the facility. We support this decision as the safety and security of both detainees and visitors must remain the primary consideration during any period of unrest within a correctional institution,” the statement read.
The union also praised on-duty officers for their measured response to the volatile situation, commending their “professionalism and restraint in managing a challenging situation and for their continued commitment to maintaining the security and stability of the institution.”
When contacted for comment by reporters on Wednesday, acting Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe confirmed he had received initial updates about the unrest but had not yet received a full formal report from ECRC leadership. “At this point in time, I have been given some information about it, but nothing confirmed. I am still awaiting final reports across the ECRC and the other prisons,” Corraspe said.
Investigations into the unrest quickly traced the root of the misinformation to false claims circulating widely on social media platforms, which claimed the SoE was scheduled to end on June 3. In a corrective statement released Wednesday, the Office of the Attorney General clarified that the state of emergency will actually remain in effect until midnight on June 17, 2026, putting an end to the false release expectations that triggered the disturbance.