TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Bahamas Blog International
Bahamas Blog International
Bahamas prison system is a major contributor of crime in the Islands
Related to country: Bahamas

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

'Prison system major contributor to crime' :
By CANDIA DAMES, Guardian News Editor -
Nassau, Bahamas:




The prison system remains "one of the major contributors to crime in the country", National Advisory Council on Crime (NACC) Chairman Bishop Simeon Hall declared yesterday.

Bishop Hall discussed the recommendations contained in the Council's report to National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest after The Nassau Guardian exclusively revealed details in what had been a closely guarded document.

In addition to the recommendations made to improve the judicial system and resume capital punishment, as revealed in yesterday's article, the Council made many other recommendations.

Under the rubric Prison and Rehabilitation, the NACC recommends that as a medium- to long-term goal authorities implement a parole board system. It said this would utilize the support mechanism of the Pre-release Program as a step toward reducing recidivism and to transforming the system from a punitive to a correctional one.

Following upon a plan that had been articulated under the Christie administration, the Council recommends that the name of Her Majesty's Prisons be changed to the Department of Corrections.

"It remains a penal rather than a restorative institution," Hall told The Guardian, adding that he's hopeful that the recommendations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Forty-nine recommendations were made and separated into three categories: short-term (zero to three months); medium-term (four to 12 months) and long-term (12 months and beyond).

"I'm very pleased with what we have done," said Hall, who was selected by government late last year to head the Council at a time when crime remained a major concern in the country. "I hope that we would disappoint those who would think that nothing will come out of the commission."

The NACC recommends that authorities provide support for established safety net programs for ex-offenders whose families reject them upon discharge and who are unable to find accommodation otherwise.

"The resources of existing institutional providers of services are too limited to reach a significant number of ex-offenders to make an appreciable impact on their reintegration into society," the report says. "These service institutions must be expanded to achieve a desirable reduction in recidivism."

The Council also makes other recommendations relative to the prison system: expand entrepreneurial projects and programs currently being taught at the prison; broaden public awareness of the report card system for discharged persons; establish and adopt-an-inmate program at the prison and establish court facilities at the prison to avoid the danger and cost of transporting inmates through communities.

Touching on socialization issues, the NACC advises the implementation of a national instrument to provide focus and direction to youth related programs; the promotion of positive lifestyles and culture for young people; the strengthening of the national curriculum to instill a greater sense of national pride and self esteem in young people; the establishment of a gang intervention and prevention program and the increase of penalties for unlicensed firearm possession.

Authorities are also advised to strengthen and make mandatory family life studies in "all" schools and pass legislation to hold parents accountable legally and financially for the destructive actions of minors.

"While minor children and very young persons are brought before the courts for minor criminal infractions, no punitive correctional action is taken in instances where public properties are defaced [or] destroyed," the report says.

The Council advises that the government implement a program of community service for deviant youth and mandate parents to reimburse or replace properties proven to have been destroyed by their minor children.

"The commission's report is not a magic wand to just cause everything to go away, but we believe that should they (the recommendations) be implemented, certainly we should begin to see a difference in the not too distant future," Hall said yesterday.

October 9, 2008 | 4:13 PM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


Dennis Dames's Profile


Latest Posts
The Bahamas:...
The Kennedy...
Grenada, we mourn -...
The Bahamas:...
Alfonso Quinonez -...

Monthly Archive
December 1969
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012

Change Language


Tags Archive
america american bahamas barack caribbean crime crisis cuba cuban democracy development economic economy global haiti health history ict4d individualeconomy international investment obama people political revolution trade war washington world

Links
A+ Links Int'l
Affiliate Marketplace
Bahamas Dames
Bahamas Political Blog
Bahamas Search
Bahamian Phone Cards
Blog Directory
Blog Directory
Blogadr
BlogExplosion
Caribbean Blog International
Cheap Int'l Calling Cards
Crooks Blog
DAD's Matchmaking Online
Dating Network
Dennis Dames Hotels...
Dennis Dames Online...
Dennis Dames Pages Online
Find me on Bloggers.com
Free Paid Web Directory
LS Blogs
Politics Blogs
Top Web Blogs
Vote For Me
Woo Love Poems Menu


2879609 views
Important Disclaimer