A major regional trade union body has drawn a clear line in the sand with the national government, raising stiff opposition to a proposal that would deploy convicted prison inmates to clean and upkeep public spaces, arguing the plan threatens the livelihoods of more than 40,000 out-of-work citizens waiting for gainful employment.
National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) General Secretary Michael Annisette laid out the organisation’s position in a formal public statement, clarifying that the union does not oppose meaningful offender rehabilitation programmes. Instead, Annisette stressed that any inmate work initiative must be structured first and foremost to equip participants with marketable, certified skills that will help them secure legal, stable employment after they complete their sentences. He pushed back against framing inmate work as a cheap, convenient replacement for paid labour that would otherwise go to unemployed residents.
The controversy sparked two weeks prior, when Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander first floated the proposal during a stakeholder meeting for the National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces (NPUPS), held at St John’s Community Centre in Tunapuna. Alexander confirmed that offenders sentenced to hard labour would eventually be integrated into public maintenance work as part of their court-ordered sentences. The NPUPS initiative, launched by the government, is designed to boost municipal workforce capacity and keep community spaces clean and functional, with tasks ranging from street and drain clearing to general public space upkeep.
Annisette is demanding the government provide clear answers on what tangible benefits inmates will gain from the proposed work. Before the policy moves forward, he says the administration must address a core question: If inmates are tasked with public space maintenance, what nationally recognised credentials, skills, and post-release employment pathways will they walk away with that they did not have before entering prison? Without a clear, satisfactory answer, Annisette argues the initiative will be seen as nothing more than a cost-cutting measure disguised as correctional reform, rather than a genuine effort at rehabilitation.
“Cleaning drains, cutting grass, clearing roadsides and maintaining public spaces may constitute useful work, but work alone is not rehabilitation,” Annisette said in the statement.
The Natuc leader outlined that any legitimate rehabilitation-focused inmate work programme must integrate foundational skill building such as literacy and numeracy training, life skills education, occupational health and safety certification, hands-on vocational instruction, and nationally recognised qualifications aligned with existing in-demand job openings. He emphasized that the goal of correctional programming should be to prepare inmates to succeed as law-abiding citizens after release, not just teach them to complete manual tasks.
“An inmate should not simply leave prison knowing how to perform a task. That individual should leave better equipped to obtain lawful employment and remain outside the criminal justice system,” he added.
Annisette contextualized the union’s opposition against the country’s current strained labour market, which already leaves more than 40,000 displaced workers searching for meaningful, sustainable work. He says the government has a core responsibility to create quality jobs for law-abiding citizens, and must explain how the inmate labour proposal aligns with that obligation.
Stressing that Natuc is not against offender rehabilitation broadly, Annisette framed the union’s position as a push for “fairness, balance and responsible public policy.” He pointed out that thousands of unemployed citizens are actively seeking work, displaced workers are struggling to support their families, and thousands of existing workers already earn their living in public maintenance, sanitation, landscaping and related fields.
Natuc has pledged to strongly oppose any arrangement that uses inmate labour — whether directly or indirectly — to eliminate existing jobs, push down wages, undermine collective bargaining agreements, avoid hiring unemployed workers, reduce available job openings for citizens, or replace decent paid work with low-cost or unpaid inmate labour. “The rehabilitation of one group in society must not be achieved through the economic displacement of another,” Annisette said.
Beyond labour market concerns, the union is also calling on the government to ensure any future inmate work programme adheres to international standards for prison labour, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, widely known as the Nelson Mandela Rules. Under these global standards, prison work must never be exploitative, and must prioritize rehabilitation, vocational skill building, and preparation for post-release employment.
Annisette argued that the success of any inmate labour programme should not be measured by how much public maintenance work is completed — such as the number of cleaned highways or cleared drains. Instead, success should be measured by outcomes: how many inmates earned recognized qualifications, developed marketable skills, secured quality employment after release, successfully reintegrated into society, and did not reoffend.
Natuc also raised key practical and public safety concerns about deploying convicted inmates to work in public spaces. Annisette said comprehensive risk assessments must be conducted to screen which inmates are appropriate for public work placements, alongside investments in trained on-site supervision, secure transportation, proper tools and safety equipment, formal occupational safety protocols, emergency response plans, and enough correctional staff and resources to keep everyone safe.
The union warned that members of the public, prison officers, other public employees, and contracted workers should not be exposed to avoidable risks caused by inadequate planning and under-resourcing. To address these gaps and ensure all perspectives are heard, Natuc is calling for full consultation with organized labour, employer groups, correctional authorities, and all relevant stakeholders before any implementation moves forward.
“Rehabilitation should create productive citizens. It should never create displaced workers,” Annisette concluded.
