Twenty detainees from the Low-Risk Correctional Centre in Port Vila were relocated on Thursday afternoon to the former women’s correctional facility.

The Director of Correctional Services, Johnny Marango, confirmed to VBTC News that this is the first group out of a total of 54 detainees to be moved as part of preparations to demolish the current low-risk centre in July.

“The relocation is temporary,” Marango said. “We are planning to demolish the current low-risk facility and at the same time begin building a temporary centre to help manage aftershocks, which are still a concern for us. A new permanent facility is expected to be completed by April next year.”

The existing low-risk centre is one of the oldest facilities in the country and was further damaged by last year’s major earthquake. The structure has since been deemed unsafe for detainees and staff.

“As part of the relocation plan, 20 detainees have been moved to the former women’s prison, 10 have been placed in the rehabilitation classroom at the main centre, and the remaining 24 will move to the female facility — which is currently unoccupied,” Marango added.

He assured the public that security remains a top priority during the transition period.

“I want to appeal to the public: when you pass by the area, you do not have the right to speak to detainees. We are putting measures in place to ensure there is no face-to-face communication between detainees and the public,” he said.

The Vanuatu and New Zealand governments are assisting with the demolition, which is estimated to cost between 20 and 50 million vatu.