During a recent appearance on Pointe FM’s *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has set the record straight on public misconceptions surrounding the government’s planned prison infrastructure investment, correcting earlier reports that pegged the cost of a new correctional facility at just EC$5 million. In his address, Browne clarified that the EC$5 million figure referenced only the immediate, targeted works to address a pressing safety hazard, not the total cost of building a full, modern replacement prison.
According to the Prime Minister, constructing a fully compliant, fit-for-purpose new correctional facility will actually require an investment between EC$50 million and EC$60 million. The urgent catalyst for this government action is a dangerously compromised wing at the country’s historic His Majesty’s Prison, a facility that first opened its doors all the way back in 1735. Centuries of insufficient maintenance have left the facility in a state of severe disrepair, and prison leadership has repeatedly warned the government that the aging wing, which currently houses around 150 inmates, is structurally unsound and at imminent risk of collapse.
Browne emphasized that the situation leaves the country facing a potentially catastrophic disaster if the government delays action. The affected wing is already effectively unfit for occupancy, but a critical lack of alternative space for inmates has forced authorities to continue using the condemned structure. “The last thing we want is that facility to collapse and prisoners to get hurt or die, for that matter,” Browne told listeners, stressing that protecting the lives of both inmates and correctional staff is the government’s top priority in moving forward with the project.
The proposed replacement accommodation is designed to hold the approximately 150 inmates currently housed in the unsafe wing. As of his Saturday address, Browne did not release a finalized total project budget, a formal construction timeline, or confirmation that a final design for the new facility has been approved.