Eduard Pieters: “A country cannot speak about security while the men and women responsible for protecting society are forced to work in unsafe conditions.”
Some crises do not emerge overnight. They grow gradually, in silence, until they become a danger to employees, detainees, and ultimately the entire community. According to PPA parliamentary leader Eduard Pieters, this is exactly what has happened at the Aruba Correctional Institution (KIA).
During his address in Parliament, Pieters did not simply describe a prison facing challenges. He portrayed a national institution that, after years of neglect and a year and a half without concrete action, has become a genuine time bomb.
The Government cannot allow the situation to deteriorate any further
Pieters acknowledged that KIA’s problems did not begin under the current Government. However, because these issues have been known for many years, every minister has the responsibility to leave the institution in better condition than when it was inherited.
“A year and a half has passed, yet the people still have not seen concrete results.”
According to the parliamentarian, the structural staff shortage—estimated at between 73% and 75%—combined with insufficient training, excessive workload, inhumane shifts lasting up to 12 to 16 consecutive hours, and the absence of hazard pay for employees who risk their lives every day, demonstrates that the problem is no longer operational but one of failed leadership.
Security cannot be based on hope
Pieters said the security situation is equally alarming. Information received by the PPA parliamentary faction indicates that the prison entrance scanner is currently out of service, weakening one of the institution’s primary defenses against smuggling and the introduction of drugs.
The parliamentarian also questioned the limited deployment of the K9 unit.
“If the dogs are not present every day, they cannot replace a permanent security control system.”
He added that non-functioning watchtowers, an inadequate camera surveillance system, and infrastructure described as deplorable in several international reports further worsen the situation.
When employees are not safe, neither is the country
Pieters devoted much of his speech to the correctional officers and staff who risk their lives every day to maintain order within KIA.
He referred to mold in several prison sections, roofs at risk of collapsing, areas where sewage water flows openly, a toxic working environment, lack of trust, and poor communication.
According to Pieters, no employee in Aruba should be expected to work under such conditions.
“How can we demand professionalism if we fail to guarantee the minimum conditions necessary for people to do their jobs?”
Pieters also raised a fundamental question regarding KIA’s mission.
If every inmate costs approximately AWG 300 per day, why is there no serious reintegration policy? Why are there only two psychologists and two social workers serving the entire institution? Why have educational opportunities, such as national examinations, been eliminated?
“If we do not invest in rehabilitation, we are not preparing people to return to society. We are preparing repeat offenders.”
The time to act has already passed
For Eduard Pieters, the parliamentary debate was about more than KIA—it was an urgent call for the Government to provide leadership.
“A country cannot talk about security while the men and women responsible for protecting society are forced to work in unsafe conditions. The Government must put aside its pride, listen to the workers, and act today before this time bomb explodes in the face of the people of Aruba.”
According to the PPA leader, when an institution meant to protect society becomes a danger to its own staff, the problem is no longer limited to KIA. It becomes Aruba’s problem.