GREAT BAY--Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling’s presentation to Parliament on the draft 2027 national budget largely recapped information she has shared publicly on previous occasions about the challenges and priorities facing the Justice Ministry, while providing several updates on implementation and outlining new plans to explore revenue-generating services that could help supplement future Justice budgets.
Tackling returned to Parliament as the Council of Ministers answered questions submitted by Members of Parliament during deliberations on the draft 2027 budget. The Minister addressed the new prison, detention capacity, rehabilitation, the Crime Fund, probation, foster care, youth intervention and the financial pressures facing the Ministry.
One of the newer elements of her presentation concerned efforts to generate additional income within the Justice Ministry. Tackling said proposals are being developed to identify services for which fees could potentially be introduced or adjusted, with the aim of establishing measures that could begin generating revenue during 2027 and contribute to budgets beyond that year.
The Minister identified several areas with the potential for what she described as quick-win measures. Services being examined include applications for name changes, driver’s licence exemption letters, tinted-window exemptions and administrative processing connected to vehicle imports.
Customs and the Police Force of St. Maarten are also assessing possible vehicle inspection fees and charges for services provided outside regular working hours. Immigration and Border Protection is examining services within its own operations that could potentially generate additional revenue.
Tackling stressed that these are proposals under review and should not be interpreted as approved new charges. Each potential fee will first be assessed based on the appropriate amount, expected demand for the service, delivery costs and the earliest realistic date at which it could be introduced.
The Ministry will also examine the effect any new or adjusted charge could have on residents and businesses using the services. Once the assessment is completed, Tackling said a package of proposals will be presented for Government decision-making.
A substantial part of the presentation again focused on the new prison and the financial obligations that will accompany its completion. Tackling said the first phase remains targeted for completion in September 2027, while the second phase is expected in 2028, eventually bringing the facility to a planned capacity of 196 places.
The financial challenge will not end with construction. Tackling said previous planning estimates placed the cost of operating the completed facility at approximately US$11.5 million annually, including staffing, maintenance and other operational requirements. She cautioned that the figure remains an estimate and is being reviewed against the proposed staffing structure and operating model.
The draft prison function book has been completed and is undergoing ministerial review. Tackling said that process should provide Government with a clearer understanding of the recurring costs that will have to be incorporated into future national budgets.
While construction continues, Government is also using temporary measures to manage detention capacity. Tackling again addressed the use of provisions that allow eligible inmates to be considered for release where capacity becomes critical, while authorities continue examining additional temporary accommodation and possible transfers within the Kingdom when necessary.
Rehabilitation and reintegration also remain part of the prison strategy. Programs involving education, vocational development, physical activity, health services, mental-health support, family involvement and digital learning are being developed or continued as the Ministry works toward a more structured rehabilitation system.
The Ministry is also continuing work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on a rehabilitation and reintegration roadmap that is expected to establish clearer methods for measuring outcomes, including recidivism.
Tackling also updated Parliament on Crime Fund projects. An agreement with the St. Maarten Development Fund to assist with management of the projects is moving toward completion, after which several initiatives are expected to move further into implementation.
The Ministry intends to continue using priorities already identified in its existing Crime Fund planning while developing a more detailed framework for future project submissions and implementation.
Probation services remain under significant strain. Tackling told Parliament that available staffing remains well below the level considered necessary to handle the department’s workload, particularly as limited detention capacity increases reliance on supervision, community service, behavioral interventions and other alternatives to incarceration.
The Minister said the workload affects how frequently officers can interact with clients, the speed with which violations can be addressed and the ability of the service to expand alternatives to detention. Additional recruitment is therefore planned, beginning with two probation officers and supporting policy and project positions.
Child protection and foster care were also addressed. Tackling said the number of foster families currently available for placements remains limited, particularly for adolescents and children who may have behavioral or emotional needs.
A foster-care recruitment and awareness campaign is planned, but the Minister acknowledged that increasing the number of families willing to participate will also require attention to the financial support provided to foster parents. Families taking children into their homes face recurring costs for food, transportation, clothing, school supplies and other necessities.
The planned HALT youth intervention initiative also remains targeted for implementation during the first half of 2027. The program is intended to provide an intervention for young people before their behavior leads to deeper involvement in the criminal justice system.
Tackling said the program will eventually include monitoring of repeat offending, standardized data collection, performance measurements and evaluations to determine whether the intervention is achieving its intended results.
Taken together, Tackling’s answers provided Parliament with an updated overview of initiatives she has discussed during previous appearances and public statements, while placing greater emphasis on what must happen next. Those priorities include completing prison construction, planning for its substantial recurring costs, strengthening rehabilitation, improving probation and foster-care capacity, implementing youth interventions and finding new sources of revenue to help finance the growing demands being placed on the Justice Ministry.
