(CMR) Governor, Martyn Roper, announced on Monday (April 20) that four prisoners were deported. In a release issued by the Governor's Office, it was revealed that the inmates were taken directly to the airport and left the island on outbound flights on Friday (April 17) and Monday (April 20).
CMR checks revealed that on Friday at least one flight left the Cayman Islands for Miami and on Monday, a WestJet flight left the island for Toronto.
The deportations come as the Prison Director takes steps to reduce the prison population in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
“His Excellency the Governor, Martyn Roper, has agreed to accept the advice of the Advisory Committee for the Prerogative of Mercy to remit the sentences of a number of prisoners and to repatriate them to their home countries,” read the release issued.
The deportations were done under the prison director’s existing powers, and was said to accommodate a small number of prisoners coming towards the end of their sentences.
“The onset of COVID-19 presents significant challenges in a closed prison environment. In order to safeguard the health of prison staff and prisoners alike and to enable better adherence to the policy of social distancing, the Prison Director is taking steps to reduce the prison population in a manner that presents no risk to the general public,” added the release.
HMP Northward is designed to accommodate 169 individuals as maximum but currently has a population of 185 inmates.
It is unclear at this time if the prison director will be releasing more individuals as the facility remains overcrowded.
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