To many of us, the appalling conditions of the police holding facilities at George Town and West Bay Police Stations is a low priority problem to right.

Even more so with the state of the country’s finances and the cost to bring the facilities up to standard estimated at around $1M that will include a new facility constructed “somewhere in George Town”.

Only last week Police Commissioner David Baines invited Cayman Islands Governor, Duncan Taylor, to spend a night in the George Town Police lock-up.

Commissioner Baines has been highlighting the problem since his arrival here in 2009 and was one of his first public statements about the awful conditions the facilities are in.

His statement fell largely on deaf ears.

However, just because most of us who are law abiding feel the police lock up is not a top priority, it is.

Remember, too, not everyone who spends a few nights in the lock up are actually criminals. Everyone is technically, “Not Guilty” until proven “Guilty”. Therefore conditions should at the very least be “average” and definitely not “appalling”.

We also have a problem. A Bill of Right becomes effective here on November 6 2012. Not far off is it? And there is a big problem.

Section 6 (1) of the Bill reads: “All persons deprived of their liberty have the right to be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”

The only way this can be achieved is a clean up operation and at least the basic facilities provided.

Perhaps one of the government trips abroad can be put on hold and the earmarked cost moved to pay for these basic facilities?

Next year we have a major problem, though.

Sections 6(2) and 6(3) of the bill refer to the separation of juvenile prisoners from adults and of un-convicted prisoners from convicted ones. Those two sections do not take effect until 6th November 2013.

We have to find money for that. Can you imagine prisoners suing the government for their rights and how much that would cost?

So, yes, the police lock up is a top priority.

And, did the Governor take up the Commissioner’s offer?