By Carlisle Jno Baptiste
ROSEAU, DOMINICA-There continues to be a steady drop in the prison population in Dominica. In his January 2026 report to the High Court, Superintendent of the Dominica State Prison (DSP) Jeffrey Edmund reported then about a significant drop in the inmates’ population, moving from 261 in 2023 to 226 in 2025.
At that time, the prison population was 208 males and two females.
“We have seen a significant drop in our inmate population moving from averages of 261 in 2023 and 254 in 2024 to 226 in 2025,” he revealed. “Of special mention is a drop in the remand population.”
In his March 2026 Jail delivery report to the court, Edmund reported a prison population of 195, making up 194 males and one female.
“The prison service continues to experience a decrease in the inmate population, both male and female, from the last reporting period, 16 on the male said and 3 females. The remand population continues on its downward trend, and this is mainly due to the increase in magistrates,” he told the court.
Presently, there are 29 males on remand for murder and 11 on remand for sexual offences.
There are also 14 foreign nationals at the DSP, with 11 males on remand and 3 convicted. The makeup of the foreign nationals is 2 from the USA, 8 from St. Lucia, 2 from St. Martin, 1 from Columbia and 1 from the Dominican Republic.
The Prison Boss also told the court that at present there are “no juveniles in custody and the baggage and walk-through scanners have been commissioned, and the CCTV is nearing completion.”
Of note, the prison through the Ministry of National Security has secured the services of a “chef,” and the prison continues its vigorous drive to develop the farm in an effort to reduce “expenditure and to achieve a level of self-sufficiency.”
He also extended gratitude to the Minister of National Security for securing the services of the chef, and also disclosed that the Grotto Home has benefited from the farm contributions of cabbage and lettuce from the farm of the DSP.