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PRISON AND PENAL REFORM
by Victor Cuffy\President\SVGHRA

Prime Minister Gonsalves announced recently that government will build an ultra-modern prison at Belle Isle at an estimated cost EC$219 million. It is to be built in two phases, the first of which will cost E.C. $11.7 million. This proposed new prison will consist, among other things of a minimum -security block to house 250 inmates, a medium security to house 96 inmates and a maximum security to house 48 inmates.

I prefer to call this expensive structure a correctional facility instead of a prison. My reason for this is that persons who lose their liberty by having found guilty of crime should be given every chance to be reformed and rehabilitated. In the past and up to the present time, most prisoners in the English speaking Caribbean have been run on a policy of repression. This should stop. Every effort should be made to reform and rehabilitate inmates during the period of time they are incarcerated. To do this it is necessary to have well trained personnel administering the correctional facility. At present, prison officers (who in future should be called correctional officers) are undergoing extensive training some of which includes human rights issues. This is good, but needs to be done on a continuing basis.

However, if efforts to reform and rehabilitate inmates are essential, the professional staff such as a psycholigist, a psychiatrist and an educator must be recruited to help in this regard. It may not be necessary to have such professionals full time in the facility. They can be employed as well doing work in the wider community. A correctional facility should be a place for placing persons who have been found guilty of the more serious crimes, such as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, arson, serious wounding and so on. There is no need to send so many people to prison as is done presently who have committed less serious and minor offences.

This in no way lays blame on the Magistracy. If any blame is to be placed it is the Governmental authorities who have not legislated enough available alternative punishments to imprisonment. For example, up until now, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has legislation allowing for Community Service. Orders to be used as a form of non-custodial punishment. The necessary legislation should be prepared and passed without delay. This type of punishment where convicted persons are ordered to do certain work for the benefit of the community, is quite effective. Besides, it avoids persons going to prison, which carries a stigma. Added to that it reduces the costs running a correctional facility.

There is an increasing number of drug offenders in SVG. Persons who are convicted of possessing small quantities of drugs should be sent for treatment and not sent to prison. Such treatment centers exist already in St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. In Guyana there is legislation that allows Courts to use their discretion and impose low fines and Community Service for person found guilty of possession of illegal drugs for personal use. Other non-custodial sentences which should be used more often are Curfews for young offenders under 21 years requiring him or her to remain at home for certain hours in the day or night. Suspended sentences and Probation Orders should also be used more often. Regarding Probation Orders it would be necessary to provide additional Probation Officers to deal with offenders.

Something must be said of the law in this country which allows persons over the age of 16 years to be sent to jail. It is suggested that no one found guilty of crime who is not over 18 years should be imprisoned. If it is necessary to detain young persons under that age then a separate Detention Center should be established. This could be used to house such young offenders who may have committed serious crimes such as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and so on.

At present such youngsters are held at the Station Office in the Central Police Station sitting day and night for several days on "rest benches" to await their trials. This is unacceptable. A small Dentention Center will remedy this situation. The Center could also be used as a rehabilitation and training facility for such youngsters.

In summary, while a new prison is needed, imprisonment should only be ordered for persons found guilty of the more serious crimes. Non-custodial sentencing should be used much more. Efforts to reform and rehabilitate inmates must be a priority. Their re-entry into the community demands this, for general community security. As a consequence of what has been said above, if adhered to, the cost running the new proposed correctional facility should be substantially reduced.

Finally, all inmates in the correctional facility (except those imprisoned for debt) must be put to work. The proceeds from their work must be used to help bear the cost of running the facility. The inmates themselves must be paid an adequate share from their said work on their release. And by the way, we should have a Department of Corrections in future, not a Prison department.