Just as the prison at Balsam Ghut approaches three inmates short of reaching its maximum of 120, the British Virgin Islands premier, Ralph O’Neal collected the keys to the Territory’s new female prison and immigration detention centre during an official ceremony on Friday 30th May 2008.

The Premier told the gathering that the modern trends towards a globalised community have increased pressures for governments to provide detention facilities that are capable of achieving world standards for safety and security.

Minister for Prisons Honourable Andrew Fahie stated that any person who is detained - including every sentenced prisoner, whether male or female, refugee, expatriate or local - has the right to conditions of detention that are consistent with human dignity, adequate accommodation, proper nutrition and medical treatment.

Minister Fahie pledged to do his utmost to continue to ensure that every effort is made to continue to upgrade and provide adequately for all individuals in this community, even those that are incarcerated.

The new female prison and immigration detention centre are housed in the same building. The Immigration Department is responsible for the top floor of the two-storey building, while Her Majesty’s Prison will utilise the ground floor as the new female prison and juvenile facility. All of the different sections are completely sealed off from one another.