Trinidad and Tobago’s top prison official has pledged to maintain aggressive tactics including surveillance and targeted intelligence gathering to root out corrupt staff smuggling contraband into the country’s correctional facilities, vowing to tackle the problem head-on to protect the system’s core rehabilitation mission. The promise came from Acting Prisons Commissioner Elvin Scanterbury, who spoke publicly on the issue Tuesday, one day after authorities announced the arrest of a female prison officer caught with a large cache of prohibited items at a women’s prison.
The arrested officer, who is currently on approved vacation leave until March 2027, was stopped and searched by senior prison officials around 8:45 a.m. Monday as she attempted to enter the Women’s Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca. The search uncovered a substantial haul of contraband: 458 cigarette packets, 189 grams of marijuana, two wireless headsets, eight AAA batteries and 12 effervescent tablets. Senior prison operations teams contacted law enforcement, and the officer was taken into custody immediately.
This latest arrest comes as the Prison Service ramps up island-wide efforts to block the flow of illegal goods into correctional facilities. Over recent weeks, multiple attempted smuggling attempts have been intercepted, including one incident where surveillance cameras captured a man attempting to toss contraband over the perimeter walls of the Port of Spain Prison.
Scanterbury made his comments on the crackdown during a public appearance at the opening of *Universe Speaks*, an unprecedented art exhibition showcasing original creative work by currently incarcerated people across Trinidad and Tobago. Hosted collaboratively by the Raja Yoga Prison Ministry, the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, and the Art Fusion School, the exhibition is being held in the atrium of Long Circular Mall in St James, and will run through August 29, with all displayed artworks available for public purchase. Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj and Archbishop Jason Gordon joined Scanterbury for the official launch, where they toured the inmate art displays.
In addition to announcing the continued crackdown on corrupt staff, Scanterbury recently emphasized the importance of professional and ethical conduct during a visit to the Prison Training College, where he met with the newest cohort of trainee prison officers. He urged recruits to uphold the strict values and performance standards expected of uniformed prison staff, highlighting core principles of integrity, professionalism, teamwork, and unwavering dedication to duty. A formal statement from the Prison Service noted that the agency prioritizes rigorous training to equip all new officers with the skills, knowledge, and self-discipline needed to meet the service’s dual goals of maintaining correctional safety and supporting inmate rehabilitation.
Scanterbury also addressed public speculation about the absence of the permanent Commissioner of Prisons, Carlos Corraspe, who was placed on paid leave alongside another senior prison official recently. When asked about Corraspe’s status, Scanterbury confirmed he was serving in an acting capacity during Corraspe’s leave, and clarified that Corraspe is currently on approved vacation leave, declining to comment further on his eventual return to the post.