A proposal to use inmates to build two major projects for the Ministry of Police as part of rehabilitation is pending approval from the Tenders Board. 

The Vaiaata multipurpose hall with an estimated cost of $300,000 and another for $500,000 for the police shooting range in Tanumalala are capital projects currently in the pipeline. 

According to the Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster the projects are yet to commence given the Tenders Board has yet to give the okay to the proposal. 

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, Faualo said the funding allocation will go towards the purchasing of materials and allowance for the prisoners. 

The Ministry of Police is proposing to the Tenders Board to use inmates to build the Vaiaata hall and shooting range facility through the rehabilitation programme. 

“The use of the treaty [rehabilitation programme], the prisoners don’t work for free but they do get allowances,” Faualo pointed out. 

“The Commissioner will deal with the allowance arrangement and all those in case something happens behind bars with prisoners fighting over money…” 

A letter penned by the Minister of Police addressed to the Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Uelese Vaai in December 2023 noted reservations from the Tenders Board to support the proposal. 

Lautimuia is also the chairman for the Tenders Board and in the letter from Faualo, he sought backing from the Tenders Board to allow the prisoners to carry out the work.

The construction work will be led by a lead carpenter from the Ministry of Police and Faualo is positive that previous events where prisoners built the Vaiaata prison but had the project contracted to a private company will not happen again. 

The Vaiaata prison hall will be financed by Japan on the condition the facility will be built by prisoners while the shooting range funding is sourced from the U.S. Embassy. 

There are currently 60 inmates at the Vaiaata prison and 600 at the Tanumalala prison. 

The past administration, approved the building of the Vaiaata prison by prisoners but the cost ballooned to $800,000 from the initial $600,000 and the tender process was bypassed.