The Department of Corrections’ Hagåtña Detention Facility is shown in this file photo.
A LOCAL resident said he is against a proposal to transfer Guam inmates to the Saipan prison facility.
Ben Basa, who lives on Saipan, fears that when the inmates from Guam “sit down and [start] chatting [with Saipan inmates], they’re going to get along and [the Guamanians] are probably going to teach [the local inmates new tricks].”
Basa said once released, these CNMI inmates could commit crime with greater sophistication and potentially elude capture.
He said with an increased number of inmates, the CNMI would need to hire more Corrections officers. Basa doubts the CNMI’s current ability to recruit and staff an increase in Corrections officers.
Instead of accepting Guam inmates, Basa hopes the CNMI government will invest in Kagman’s agricultural plots, which, he added, are underutilized, and should be repurposed for commercial investment, such as hotel development.
“That is a huge area and…if they clean it up and put it out for investors, I’ll bet you in not even six months someone will be interested,” Basa said.
He noted that Laolao Bay Golf and Resort Saipan is near the agricultural plots, and Marine Beach is not far off.
Basa said investments in Kagman would allow its residents to work in their own village, and spend less money on gas for their commute.
“I’m really, really against the idea,” Basa said, referring to the Guam inmate transfer proposal.
“If this is about money, there’s a lot of ways the government can make money other than bringing in inmates. We have a lot of inmates here,” he added.
Variety reached out to Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres for a comment. He agreed to be interviewed on Tuesday.
Torres earlier said that the transfer of Guam inmates could generate millions of dollars in revenue for the local Department of Corrections. He added that Guam’s correctional facility is overpopulated, while the CNMI has “just under 200 inmates” for a facility that can fit 500.
Guam State Clearinghouse Officer Stephanie Flores, who visited Saipan recently with other Guam officials, said “no agreements have been made just yet.” She added that “there will be no movement of inmates right away, and…that will not happen unless the CNMI community is on board 100%.”
