The key points are temporarily unavailable. You can still read the full Story below.
Main Points
Former PDO detainees Keron Alexis and Joann Henry have spoken publicly about their experiences under the recent State of Emergency, raising concerns about detention, the impact on families and the process used to hold individuals without criminal charges.
The two appeared during a live conversation hosted by King Wallace, where former detainees were given an opportunity to describe what they experienced and question aspects of the Prevention of Detention Order system.
Alexis, whose father was the late Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, spoke about what he believes were serious problems surrounding some of the detentions.
During the discussion, allegations were raised that some people may have been detained because of personal conflicts with individual police officers. Claims were also made that some detainees lost their jobs while incarcerated, leaving families without breadwinners.
These allegations have not been independently established.
The conversation also focused heavily on people being detained and later released without criminal charges being laid against them.
One of the arguments raised by the former detainees was that even where authorities suspected someone of criminal activity, detention without eventually producing evidence sufficient to bring charges left serious questions for those affected.
The speakers also criticised their experiences with the tribunal process established to review detentions. One participant claimed his lawyer did not receive answers following his tribunal hearing, while another example was raised of a detainee allegedly being told he was being held for his own safety.
The wider effect on families was another major theme.
Participants argued that removing men from their households for extended periods affected children, employment and the financial stability of families. One speaker went further, alleging that the PDO system disproportionately harmed Black families and questioning whether that impact was intentional.
That allegation was presented as the speaker’s personal belief and was not established during the discussion.
Wallace challenged some of the statements as particularly strong and made clear that the purpose of the conversation was to bring awareness to the experiences and concerns being raised by former detainees.
He said the discussion was not intended as an attack on the Government or the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
For Alexis and Henry, however, the conversation provided an opportunity to tell their side of what happened during detention and to raise questions they believe remain unanswered following their release.
Their accounts add another perspective to the continuing national discussion surrounding the use of Prevention of Detention Orders during the State of Emergency and the balance between crime-fighting measures, individual rights and accountability.
