PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice continues to advance important reforms in the country’s detention sector through the Detention Sector Reform Program (DSRP), with several key initiatives in recent months highlighting the program’s multi-layered approach to strengthening the justice system.

One major milestone was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Point Blanche detention facility, marking the start of construction for a modern correctional facility designed to improve security, working conditions, and rehabilitation opportunities. The program's infrastructure component is being implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with the Government of Sint Maarten.

Alongside infrastructure development, the program also focuses on strengthening institutional practices and rehabilitation-oriented approaches within the detention system. These efforts form part of the soft component of the DSRP, which is being implemented with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Recent activities under this component included a Prison Education Workshop that brought together partners from the justice, education, and social development sectors to explore ways to strengthen learning opportunities within the detention environment.

A case management workshop involving Judicial and Institutional Services (SJIS) and Pointe Blanche Prison staff also provided a platform for justice-sector professionals to discuss improvements to assessment processes, coordination, and rehabilitation planning for individuals within the system.

Further strengthening staff capacity, two correctional officers participated in the Erasmus+ Youth Worker Seminar, Capacity-building for Openness, Resilience & Empathy (CORE), held in Aruba. The training focused on communication, emotional intelligence, resilience, and inclusive practices, equipping officers with practical tools to support more effective and humane rehabilitation approaches within the detention environment. The knowledge gained will be shared internally to further strengthen staff capacity.

The Point Blanche Detention Center also hosted an author visit and book donation initiative, organized in collaboration with the Art Saves Lives Foundation. During the visit, formerly incarcerated author Shaka Senghor and Sint Maarten author Alesco E. Violenes, who was himself formerly incarcerated at Point Blanche, engaged directly with inmates on the themes of personal growth, accountability, and transformation. A total of 100 books were donated, ensuring that every incarcerated individual will have access to reading materials that encourage reflection and personal development.

Another important development in recent weeks has been the arrival of correctional officers from Suriname, who are providing temporary support to operations at the Point Blanche detention facility. This cooperation forms part of ongoing efforts to stabilize operations, support existing staff, and create space for continued training and recruitment of local officers as broader detention sector reforms continue.

The Detention Sector Reform Program represents a comprehensive effort to strengthen Sint Maarten’s detention sector by improving infrastructure, enhancing institutional capacity, and promoting rehabilitation-focused approaches that contribute to safer communities.

The Ministry of Justice will continue working with national and international partners to advance these reforms as the country moves toward the development of a modern detention system that reflects both international standards and Sint Maarten’s local context.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Success studying in the Netherlands starts with proper preparation. Consequently, the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports Affairs is again hosting the exciting workshop titled “Mindfulness: Success in Studying in The Netherlands (Part I)” on March 26, 2026, at the University of St. Martin from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

This workshop, the first of a two-part series, is specifically geared at students planning to continue their studies in the Netherlands, and it is free of charge.

“Whether you're about to graduate, preparing for exams, or a recent graduate and are planning to study in the Netherlands, this workshop is for you,” say SSSD officials.

The psycho-social aspects of studying abroad will be the focus of these workshops. Aspects such as managing the personal, emotional, and social challenges that often come with the move will be dealt with.

What to expect in Part I:

• What life is really like in the Netherlands—from everyday routines to cultural differences.
• How to deal with homesickness and feelings of being overwhelmed.
• Tips for making group interactions easier and more meaningful.

• Dealing with emotional distress and depression.
• Building protective shields.
• The importance of learning Dutch and how it can boost your experience.

Participants are encouraged to attend both workshops to get the full experience. The workshops are interactive, offering participants tips and a chance to ask burning questions.

“Many students leave the island feeling unprepared to face the challenges in the Netherlands, and the goal of these workshops is to make sure they are ready to succeed. All students, whether they are going to the Netherlands as free-movers or with government financing, are invited to this workshop,” SSSD officials note.

Students are encouraged to contact SSSD at 543-1235 or email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register for the workshop on March 26, 2026 or to obtain more information. Interested persons can also visit the SSSD office in the Gatspy Building, across from the Police Station and next to WIB. 

The Student Support Services Division (SSSD) provides services to students referred by schools, including psychological, counseling, social work, educational diagnostic, and speech-language pathology services. SSSD also provides general services such as career services, parent sessions, and school crisis response.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sint Maarten hosted the fifth edition of a regional forensic mental health seminar on March 9 and 10, 2026, marking the first time the event was held on the island. Organized through a collaboration between the Universities of Curaçao, Aruba and Utrecht, and Judicial & Institutional Services (J&IS) St. Maarten, the two-day seminar convened at the Simpson Bay Resort under the title "Psychiatric and Psychological Assessments and Reports as Entrance for Forensic Mental Health Care in the Caribbean Area." The event brought together prosecutors, judges, attorneys, psychiatrists, psychologists, academics, and justice and mental health professionals from across the region.

The central argument running through the seminar was unambiguous: without proper psychiatric and psychological assessment, the justice system responds to behavior without understanding its causes. That gap drives reoffending, limits effective intervention, and places sustained pressure on victims, professionals, and institutions alike. Across the Caribbean, mental health issues are too often identified late, forensic assessment capacity remains constrained, and access to specialized care is still developing. The result is that individuals cycle through the justice system without addressing the conditions underlying their behavior.

The seminar was formally opened by Cynthia Clarke-Filemon, Director of J&IS St. Maarten, Professor Frans Koenraadt of the Universities of Utrecht, Curaçao, and Aruba, and Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling, each underscoring the urgency of strengthening the interface between the justice system and mental health care.

The program addressed the issue from legal, clinical, cultural, and practical perspectives. Manon Ridderbeks, Chief Public Prosecutor of Sint Maarten, outlined the prosecutorial role in initiating forensic mental health assessments within criminal proceedings. Attorney Sjamira Roseburg addressed how defense counsel can frame expert questions to produce meaningful, actionable outcomes. Judge Jos van Mulbregt examined how courts weigh mental health findings in determining criminal responsibility and sentencing.

Cultural and linguistic dimensions received significant attention. Dr. Eric Mijts demonstrated how language barriers, a persistent reality across the multilingual Caribbean, can directly undermine both the quality of assessments and defendants' access to justice. Dr. Margo Groenewoud examined the place of religion and spirituality in the functioning of Caribbean citizens, situating behavior within its broader social context. Professor Janine Janssen, criminologist and cultural anthropologist, presented on violence in dependent relationships and the recognition of early warning signals, arguing for data-driven and culturally informed approaches to detection. Professor Frans Koenraadt addressed the patterns and dynamics specific to domestic homicide, one of the most complex areas in regional forensic practice.

Psychiatrist Dr. Carl Blijd focused on the roots, triggers, and management of aggression, linking mental health directly to risk assessment. Dr. Gregory Richardson explored the role of identity, music, and cultural expression in shaping behavior. Forensic psychologist Johnny Boekhoudt and psychiatrist Nathalie Kingsale led an interactive case session in which participants applied assessment frameworks to real scenarios, a deliberate effort to move discussion from principle to practice. Aarti Baran delivered a hands-on session on self-defense and de-escalation, emphasizing proportional and controlled response in high-risk professional situations.

A panel discussion featuring Dr. Blijd, Director Clarke-Filemon, and Boekhoudt brought key themes together in direct exchange. Participants acknowledged the shared structural challenges: limited forensic capacity, delays between arrest and assessment, and insufficient integration between the justice and care systems. The seminar closed with two case presentations by J&IS probation officers Shelley Gordon and Ivan Plantein, who drew on active caseload experience to illustrate how policy, assessment, and intervention intersect in practice, grounding the academic discussion in operational reality.

Sint Maarten's hosting of this edition reflects the island's increasing engagement with justice reform at a regional level. Ongoing training, cross-jurisdictional collaboration, and growing institutional awareness are laying a foundation for more structured forensic capacity across the Kingdom. The work, however, remains incomplete.

The seminar's closing message was precise: a justice system that prioritizes assessment does not merely react to crime,  it is positioned to prevent it. Building that capacity across the Caribbean is not a long-term aspiration. It is a present and pressing obligation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday, March 14, 2026, host families along with the Internationalization Team of the  Milton Peters College, the Education Director and the Head of the Havo/VWO department bid safe travels to their German partners, who were returning back home, and two teachers of the  Milton Peters College, who will be visiting (job shadowing) the Githo Nijlen (technical) School in  Belgium for a week.

The airport departure hall was filled with smiling faces as the group of ten students and three teachers from the Anne-Frank-Realschule in Ahaus, Germany, departed from Princess Juliana International Airport after spending a week on our beautiful island. The group arrived on Sunday, March 8, 2026, to reconnect with their student and teacher partners, who are part of the Erasmus+ student exchange program at Milton Peters College. Their visit marks the completion of the 2025-2026 school year exchange between Germany and St. Maarten, which started in 2022-2023 and has become an annual project for the school, thanks to local funding  (Trepar Management NV, Steflogix, Tri Sport, Pharmacy Outlets Orange Grove, Caribbean  Concrete, Sol Antilles, Sunline Technical maintenance, Bureau Telecom & Post, SXM Lions  Club, Notary Boekhoudt, Pineapple Pete, Soggy Dollar, PJAE Airport) and the Erasmus+ funding. 

The students enjoyed a week with their host families. A program was put in place by the Milton Peters Internationalization Team that included classroom visits by the German teachers (job shadowing), while students followed their hosts' classes. Both groups also embarked on a 

tour around the island; they visited four of our 37 beaches, and they participated in various excursions, such as a scavenger hunt in Philipsburg, a visit to Parotteville, the Amsterdam and St. Louis Forts, and Perpetual Plastics. This allowed them to explore the island's history and the current state of recycling. These activities aligned with those that the group of St. Maarten students and teachers participated in during their visit to Ahaus in December 2025, when they also stayed with host families, learned about the city’s history, and visited their waste management center.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the host families and the sponsors on the island, who helped in making this trip a reality. The driving force behind the internationalization ambitions of MPC and Sundial School is the Erasmus+ Accreditation. Both schools can look forward to many other exchange activities in 2026, such as online correspondence and teaching, as well as mobility on the student and teacher levels. Meaningful trips to high schools abroad and innovative teacher trainings are part of the broader internationalization planning.