St. Kitts and Nevis

• Country Profile: The small twin-island state of Saint Kitts and Nevis[1] (hereafter St. Kitts and Nevis) has suffered from rising violence over the past decade and registered a record number of homicides in 2011 when the country was one of the most violent in the world. Most of the violence is gang and drug-related, as local street gangs fight each other for territorial control and a share of the domestic drug market. - The judicial system is largely seen as efficient and able to cope with cases in a timely and professional manner. However, the country’s prison facilities are overcrowded and conditions are poor. ... The islands serve as a transhipment point in the transnational drug trade, with St. Kitts and Nevis police stating in 2012 that they had seen an increase in cocaine trafficking over the preceding three years. However, its role is minor compared to that of other Caribbean nations such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. There is little to no registered presence of transnational criminal organisations in the country.