European Solidarity Corps Project | Sint Maarten | 3 August – 30 September 2026
Something new is taking shape inside Point Blanche Prison and Miss Lalie’s Center (MLC).
Under the Hood is a two-month solidarity project bringing together residents and international volunteers as one team – sharing skills, developing ideas and creating activities for the wider detention community.
Initially developed under the working title Beneath the Cover, the project starts from a simple idea: people deprived of liberty have stories, abilities and ambitions that go far beyond the circumstances that brought them into detention. Under the Hood gives participants the space to explore them and, importantly, to create opportunities for others too.
A Project Led by Participants
Under the Hood is not simply about delivering activities to residents. Participants are volunteers themselves.
The core volunteer teams at Point Blanche and MLC help identify needs, develop ideas and increasingly take responsibility for activities – from newsletters, photography and reading to films, cooking and sport.
Along the way, they develop practical and creative skills while gaining real experience in teamwork, communication and taking responsibility.
Activities
Photography & creativity
Photography workshops combine practical skills with creative experimentation. Participants have explored composition, perspective and shutter speed, as well as techniques such as sunprinting – creating images using light without a camera.
Reading, film & media literacy
Participants are helping develop activities for the wider population, including a book club based around The Alchemist. The movie club, The Spot, uses films as a starting point for discussion, while media literacy sessions encourage participants to analyse stories, messages and different perspectives.
Newsletters & communication
Residents and volunteers have created new communication channels within both facilities. Their newsletters give participants a real platform for their ideas while developing writing, design, creative and digital literacy skills.
Cooking, sport & shared activities
Cooking sessions, basketball, board games and other activities provide informal opportunities to learn and connect. Ideas emerging from participants themselves include developing a future sports tournament.
Created by the Residents: Our Newsletters
One of the first ideas to grow from Under the Hood was the creation of newsletters for both facilities – and each now has its own publication.
Produced biweekly on alternating weeks, they combine useful information with residents’ contributions, games, motivational messages and creative content. More importantly, residents are increasingly taking the lead in deciding what goes into them and how they look.
Jungle News – Point Blanche Prison
The Point Blanche newsletter started with an idea from one of the residents: the prison needed a better way to share information.
Residents and volunteers created the first edition together, initially without a name. By Volume 2, residents were taking greater control of the content and design – and the publication had found its identity: Jungle News.
[More editions coming soon]
Rascals News – Miss Lalie’s Center (MLC)
Over at MLC, residents and volunteers have launched their own publication: Rascals News.
Its first edition combines information with jokes, motivational quotes and a Mini Games page featuring word, number and picture challenges. Creating it gave residents the opportunity to turn their own ideas into a real printed publication while developing literacy, creativity and digital skills.
[More editions coming soon]
Under the Hood: The Story So Far
Week 1 – And we’re off!
The project began by selecting the “yellow T-shirt” volunteers from Point Blanche and MLC. The team met residents, listened to their interests and started turning their ideas into activities. Point Blanche produced its first newsletter and launched its movie club with The Life of a King. Work also began on a new Youth Participation Project, alongside meetings with UNODC, Sint Maarten Library, Sint Maarten Development Fund and other local partners.
Week 2 – Ideas become reality
Photography workshops got creative with games, challenges and sunprinting, while volunteers prepared to lead the new book club. A visit from Sint Maarten Library opened discussions about future book club meetings and improving the prison library. At MLC, cooking sessions somehow turned into karaoke – and residents created the first edition of their own newsletter, combining useful content, games and plenty of creativity.
Week 3 – Residents take the lead
The photography group experimented with shutter speed and perspective, while games, basketball and media literacy sessions brought more opportunities to learn together. The Spot continued with The Hate U Give, followed by discussion and reviews.
Meanwhile, Point Blanche residents took the reins on Volume 2 of their newsletter, bringing their own design ideas to Jungle News. They even joined the recruitment process for future international volunteers, preparing questions and interviewing potential candidates themselves.
What Comes Next?
Under the Hood runs until 30 September, so the story is still being written.
The ambition goes beyond two months of workshops. By enabling people deprived of liberty to become volunteers themselves, participants can influence their environment, support their peers and gain experience through real responsibilities.
Ideas are already emerging for what could come next – from stronger library provision and sports activities to new youth participation initiatives and future international volunteering teams.
And with Under the Hood – Phase II already on the horizon, this is only the beginning.
Partners & Support
Under the Hood is implemented under the Detention Sector Reform Programme (DSRP), with joint funding from the European Solidarity Corps and from the Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten and the Government of the Netherlands. It is delivered through a partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The project works with Point Blanche Prison and Miss Lalie’s Center, with support and collaboration from local partners including Sint Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) and Sint Maarten Library.