ABSTRACT
One of the earliest records of a prison in Trinidad and Tobago was in the late 1700s, during a time of public executions. In 1808, this structure was destroyed by …re, and a new one was rebuilt in 1812. e Prison Service Act was enacted in 1838 and revised in 1950. e …rst women’s prison was built in 1854, with a second one being built in 1886. In 1937, due to a labor dispute, the number of arrests skyrocketed, causing overcrowding in the existing prisons. As a result, Nelson Island, one of the small islands of the country’s northwest coast, was used as a prison camp. In 1949, the Young Oženders Detention Institute was relocated.
