Alternative measures for sentencing needed

IT takes $32 000 annually to house one inmate at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodd’s.

With approximately 800 prisoners currently at the St. Philip facility, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson says efforts to reduce that number are critical, which includes addressing the level of recidivism, which is referred to as the revolving door at the prison.

He was speaking at the Barbados Prison Service’s 12th Anniversary Church Service held at the Ellerton Wesleyan Holiness Church yesterday where he highlighted the need for alternative measures for sentencing, a phenomenon which he stated affects countries across the globe.

“The reality is that we have too high a recidivism rate of over 60 per cent and 40 per cent of prisoners committing a crime within six months after coming out of prison. A lot of these are related to drug offences and we are trying to address that.”

He noted that it is his Ministry’s task to lead the discussion at a societal level on issues such as alternative sentencing to prison, ankle monitoring and electronic surveillance.

“Members of Barbados as taxpayers will be concerned about the high rate and issues as to whether for minor offences and certainly for people who are on remand awaiting trial, whether we should look at alternative sentencing.

“Where there is a minor offence, possession of a drug for personal use... they already have alternative systems in terms of a Drug Treatment Court to address that. As a society as well, to address the issue of parole for prisoners, which will allow therefore the Government to intervene more than we are right now in terms of rehabilitation of prisoners after they leave prison.

“We have to address the issue of whether we should have a Correctional Service which embraces the Prison Service, Probation Service, Government Industrial School... These are issues we have to look at to get another restorative justice platform for benefit of our society and the benefit of those who from time to time come into conflict with the criminal justice system.”

Minister Hinkson commended the work of the After Care Committee, which is tasked with assisting ex-offenders to reintegrate into society. “I think this is the first time this or similar groups will have subcommittees primarily comprising prison volunteers charged with addressing such important issues as spirituality, education, rehabilitation, farming and others.

“The After Care Committee is in fact inviting at present to find ex-offenders and prisoners who are about to be released from prison to talk about the challenge they face in the reintegration process,” he said. (JH)