Each detainee at the Korrectie Instituut Aruba (KIA) costs the people of Aruba approximately 300 florins per day. Since we have no more than 300 prisoners, this represents 90,000 florins per day and 32.85 million florins per year. But for Member of Parliament Eduard Pieters, the question the public should ask is not just how much money we are spending. The question is: What does Aruba get back for this investment? According to the PPA faction leader, the answer is concerning.
A prison that does not prepare for a second chance During his address in Parliament, Pieters pointed out a reality that he believes can no longer be ignored. KIA cannot limit its function to custody alone. Its mission is also to rehabilitate and prepare individuals to return to society. However, the reality is different: only two psychologists, only two social workers, limited space for development programs, and even the opportunity to take the national exam (Landsexamen) has been eliminated. “How can we talk about reducing recidivism if we are removing the very instruments that could change a person’s future?”
Rehabilitation is not an expense, it is an investment in safety According to Pieters, every prisoner who leaves KIA without education, without treatment, and without preparation for reintegration represents a risk to society and a cost that will eventually return to the public. Therefore, according to Pieters, rehabilitation should not be seen as a luxury. It is the smartest investment a country can make to reduce recidivism and increase security. “If we don’t change lives inside KIA, we cannot expect different results when the person steps outside.”
Security does not end at the door of KIA Pieters concluded that the true success of a correctional institute is not measured only by how it keeps people inside. It is measured by how many people do not have to return (recidivism). “We can keep spending millions to maintain a system that only punishes, or we can start investing in a system that truly changes lives.” For Eduard Pieters, the question for Aruba is simple: Do we want a prison that only guards people, or do we want a correctional institute that truly protects the future of our community?