This study traces the establishment of race-based regulations and a prison system that aimed at con - trolling persons of color in The Bahamas. In the early colonial period in The Bahamas, enslaved and free persons of color were often victims of a legal system bent on creating a more ordered, regulated, and racially stratified society. It is noteworthy that such racial discourses persisted well into the 20th century. Specifically, incarceration became central to the functioning of the state and the maintenance of law and order, reinforcing colonial strategies of domination, control, and repression. The prison has remained an institution of violence, domination, and control, despite efforts at reforming the penal system. Since the prison population continues to increase year after year, the rate of recidivism is high, and the prison is chronically overcrowded, urgent policy reform of the prison system and establishment of comprehensive rehabilitation programs are needed.