Lawyer Warns – Sharon N Simon
Lawyer Warns Prison Conditions
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Antigua’s penal system is operating in direct breach of international human rights treaties signed by the nation, according to prominent attorney Warren Cassell.
Speaking on Observer AM, Cassell cited official United Nations reports showing the prison population has climbed from 191 inmates in 2004 to over 340, more than double the facility’s original capacity of 150. He warned that these conditions violate the UN Convention Against Torture, which Antigua and Barbuda ratified in 1993 to prohibit cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Cassell highlighted the severe physical degradation inside the compound, noting that inmates are still forced to use plastic bags for basic sanitation. Under the UN Nelson Mandela Rules, the global benchmark for the treatment of prisoners, governments are legally obligated to provide basic hygienic accommodations that preserve human dignity.
The legal expert also targeted the operational leadership at His Majesty’s Prison. Key management roles, including the superintendent and deputy superintendent, are regularly filled by seconded police officers, alongside deployed Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force personnel. The Nelson Mandela Rules explicitly mandate a clear separation of functions, requiring prisons to be managed by trained, civilian correctional authorities rather than military or police forces.
Further breaches include the routine failure to separate unconvicted remand prisoners from convicted inmates, as well as the handling of prisoners with mental health issues. Cassell pointed to a recent incident where special forces used tear gas inside a small, unventilated cell to subdue a mentally distressed inmate, an action that resulted in a fatality.
Calling out the local bar association and government authorities for their silence, Cassell urged officials to bring the facility in line with international standards by removing military oversight, improving sanitation and establishing structured rehabilitation programmes.
