Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The CNMI Department of Corrections (DOC) wants to house inmates from other jurisdictions as its current number of prison beds far exceeds its present prison population.

Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres said the DOC currently has approximately 180 inmates.

He said the DOC facility can accommodate an additional 320 inmates from other jurisdictions at its 500-bed facility, while charging them US$120 a day.

For as little as 100 off-island inmates charged at $120 a day per inmate, the DOC could generate an annual profit of $4 million profit without incurring additional utility costs, as power at the jail remains 24/7, he added.

Torres also said he has plans to improve Corrections' rehabilitation side by preparing inmates who are about to finish their prison sentences to rejoin the community as productive members of society.

The DOC chief said their Community Outreach Program had 14 inmates complete and pass a construction safety course back in 2021, while nine inmates completed and passed electrical level 1 and 2 courses in 2023.

The Community Outreach Program has partnered with local businesses and organisations to provide mentorship, job training, and ongoing support to inmates.

Torres also announced that the DOC has secured a $160,000 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program for rehabilitation grant for fiscal year 2025-2026.

He said part of the funds will be used to repurpose an unused space at DOC for a substance abuse treatment program, and he is currently working on the staffing of the center.

PACIFIC SHIPPING

Pacific island nations continue to call for a mandatory universal levy on carbon emissions from shipping and an equitable transition towards decarbonization.

The group known as 'the 6 Pac plus' made the call during the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London.

Marshall Islands' Minister Hilton Kendall told the committee the oceans are the Marshallese lifeline.

She said a universal emissions levy will ensure polluters pay their fair share, while providing helping those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

PACIFIC NUCLEAR POSITIONS

Pacific nations should be free to make their own decisions on their positions on nuclear weapons, the United States Ambassador to New Zealand says

The remarks come in response to an ex-Donald Trump adviser, John Bolton, claiming New Zealand is at risk if it continues its hard ban on nuclear technology.

New Zealand banned nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from entering New Zealand waters in the 1980s.

Full defense cooperation was reestablished with the US in 2012, but New Zealand's nuclear-free policy remained.

Ambassador Tom Udall said it is up to individual countries to decide.

MEDIA WATCHDOGS

Pacific media watchdogs say tight restrictions at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa is a sign the government wants to control and avoid bad press.

The Pacific Islands News Association and the Pacific Freedom Forum have sent a joint letter to Samoa's Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa asking for restrictions on journalists to be lifted.

PINA's newly elected president Kalafi Moala said he was concerned about censorship of the host and visiting broadcasters, which are largely government owned.

Moala said local and foreign journalists have also been banned from some meetings at the upcoming summit, which begins in just under two weeks.

OCEAN DECLARATION

Commonwealth members are expected to adopt their first ever Commonwealth Ocean Declaration at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.

Pristine Seas Pacific Ocean Policy Senior Director, Kevin Chand, said while the declaration isn't legally binding, it will allow states to work together on ocean protection and collaborate on the implementation of treaties.

Also on the CHOGM agenda is a panel discussion for Pacific states to showcase the work they are doing in their own backyards on ocean protection is on the agenda with Samoa's prime minister in the line up.

POLICE TRAINING

Thirty-five Fiji police officers have attended diplomacy training ahead of being deployed to Samoa to assist with security for CHOGM.

Assistant commissioner of police (operations), Livai Driu, told the staff they may be going as Fiji police officers, but while in Samoa, they are representing the Samoan government and Samoa Police Service.

Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Chand, will be the contingent commander consisting of an admin officer, a Sergeant Major, forensic experts, intelligence and transnational crime personnel, personal protection officers and motorcyclists.

GANG RAPE

Fiji police are investigating an alleged gang rape of a male student at a boy's school.

Assistant commissioner of police (operations), Livai Driu, said the victim and suspects are aged between 14 and 17.

Driu said three teenagers have been interviewed in relation to a recent incident in the boarding school's dormitory.

He said the investigation is ongoing but charges are likely to be made soon.

KOKODA TRACK CLOSED

A Papua New Guinea government minister has revealed that the closure of the Kokoda Track is being held up by confusion over which agency is responsible for it.

The track was shut down last month with some landowners claiming they haven't been receiving promised payments for operating the track.

The Tourism Minister, Belden Namah, said it is being handled by Provincial and Local Affairs when it should come under the Tourism Promotion Authority.

However, he has met with the aggrieved landowners.

The National newspaper reported him saying he would write to the prime minister to have him move responsibility for the Track to his Tourism Promotion Authority.

PNG IMMUNIZATION RATE

Health workers in Papua New Guinea are concerned about "very low" immunization rates in Madang province.

The National reported, Madang Provincial Health Authority director, Dr Martin Daimen, is urging parents and caregivers to take their kids to the nearest clinic for vaccines for preventable diseases.

He said children under five are at greater risk of getting measles, whooping cough and polio.

Dr Daimen said vaccine coverage has been low over the years due to lack of manpower, transport issues, inconsistent financing, airstrip closures and the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said coverage for the pentavalent vaccine which protects against five potential killers - (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, and Hepatitis B) stands at around 26-percent.

The push now is to bump that to 90-percent coverage.

VANUATU CIVIL DEFENSE

The Vanuatu government is working to tailor civil defense information to suit the needs of their remote communities.

The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards department has set up six new provincial community climate centers with three more sites planned.

The department's training and outreach officer, Wiliam Bae Worworkon, said it is important to tailor information for rural communities including by translating it into their respective dialects.

In June this year, the World Risk Report ranked Vanuatu the most at-risk country for natural disasters.

TEACHER STRIKE

The Vanuatu government says teachers, suspended over strike action, can ask to be re-instated.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, who is acting Education Minister, said these teachers could submit letters asking for the Teaching Service Commission to consider reinstating them.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported Napuat saying it is everyone's concern that children return to the classroom with examinations approaching.

The acting minister also promised that teachers' salaries are addressed every payday from now on, depending on the verifications being undertaken.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

A researcher is seeking better solutions for Maori and Pacific families to live in healthy, sustainable and affordable homes.

Dr Karamia Muller, who is the co-director of the Maori and Pacific Housing Research Centre in Auckland, said that the needs and aspirations for Maori and Pacific housing are often overlooked.

Speaking on Pacific Waves, Dr Muller said gentrification has impacted Pacific families greatly.