Elizabeth Gonzales
Senior Reporter
elizabeth.gonzales@guardian.co.tt
The Prison Service paid $773.6 million in overtime between 2016 and 2026, while a further $148 million was reported outstanding to prison officers.
The figures were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from attorney-at-law Keron Ramkhalawan. The response, dated October 20, 2026, puts the unpaid overtime at approximately $148 million as of August 27. If those claims are separate from payments already recorded, the total is approximately $921.6 million. The Prison Service has not confirmed whether the figures overlap.
The highest payment was $159.8 million in 2023, up $110.9 million from 2022. Payments fell to $51.5 million in 2024 and rose to $62.4 million in 2025. The FOIA response lists $57.4 million for 2026 but does not specify the period covered. The next-highest figure was $79.9 million in 2020; the lowest was $46.5 million in 2021.
The original 2023 recurrent expenditure estimates provided approximately $46.5 million for overtime for monthly paid Prison Service officers. The FOIA response records $159.8 million in payments that year. The Service did not say whether the payments included arrears.
The Commissioner of Prisons, Elvin Scanterbury, was contacted about the findings and asked that questions be sent by text. He had not responded by news time. In a separate statement on the Government’s increased overtime provision, he said the allocation did not mean all outstanding overtime had been settled. Payments, he said, remained subject to verified claims and the release of funds.
A former commissioner who served during the period covered by the figures said staffing demands, COVID-19 absences, states of emergency and duties assigned by successive governments contributed to overtime. He said inmates required constant care, supervision and monitoring.
Asked whether the 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off roster contributed to overtime, he said it was “a factor” but might not be the main one.
Former commissioner Gerard Wilson said the roster was one reason overtime costs continued to rise. Most officers worked one day followed by two days off, he said.
“Our 24, 48 is what creates the overtime,” Wilson said, adding that officers could accumulate more overtime depending on when shifts began, including on Sundays.
Wilson said prisons in other countries often use shorter shifts, with one group handing duties to another. Changing the system would be difficult, however, because officers must account for inmates during shift changes. Late-night checks could also disrupt inmates.
He said security emergencies and heightened alerts added to overtime. At times, members of the Emergency Response Unit worked 48 hours followed by 24 hours off, and officers sometimes worked two or three consecutive days when replacements were unavailable.
In the 2026 Budget, the Government announced plans to recruit 500 prison officers. The 2027 Budget statement said 246 had been recruited, with another 250 expected, citing staffing shortages and attrition.
The 2027 statement also identified a $29.9 million perimeter security upgrade at Golden Grove Prison, separate from overtime expenditure. The reported outstanding amount was nearly as much as the $159.8 million paid in 2023.
