An 18-member Prison Reform Commission has been charged with reviewing Her Majesty’s Prison at Fox Hill in hopes of re-organising the prison with the goal of reducing the high rate of recidivism.
“I believe that in this term we can reduce the rate of recidivism significantly,” Prime Minister Perry Christie said. “But it will require an integrated approach involving the prisoner and his family, the church, our system of education, the judiciary, law enforcement, the business community and the wider society.”
The Commission is headed by Dr. Elliston Rahming, a criminologist who has conducted research on crime for 20 years. He also serves as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister.
Dr. Sandra Deane-Patterson is Deputy Chairman of the Commission. She has been a pioneer in the areas of crisis management, domestic violence and crimes against women.
Mr. Christie, who made the announcement from the Cabinet Office today, said his government has two overarching thrusts to its anti-crime programme: To reduce the overall rate through innovative programmes and assorted prevention strategies and to significantly lower the rate of re-offending and recidivism by former inmates.
Seven out of 10 inmates that are released from prison return and 98 percent of all inmates sentenced to prison return to society at some point, the prime minister pointed out. The prime minister is hopeful that the commission will make recommendations that will prevent the prison from continuing to be an “assembly line for the manufacturing of criminals.”
“We therefore have a choice,” Mr. Christie said. “We can continue to warehouse the same persons who are in and out of prison or we can take the time to engage in a comprehensive, systematic study of the criminal, socio-economic and educational backgrounds of these inmates and thereupon, evaluate what in-prison and post-prison intervention strategies are necessary to lift their self-esteem, empower them with problem-solving, job readiness and coping skills.”
Mr. Christie said: “While I accept the notion that crime will always be with us. I reject the view that we must always live in fear…Indeed, I am advised that for the month of September last month there were 41 cases of rape reported to the police. This is totally unacceptable and must be reversed.”
The other members of the Commission are Dr. Michael Neville, a psychiatrist; Marisa Dawne Mason-Smith, a Human Resource Specialist; Dr. Iva Dahl, an educator; E’thegra Symonette, a lecturer in Criminal Justice at the College of the Bahamas; Dr. Kendal Major; a dentist, Dr. Evaneth McPhee, Medical Officer; Marva Minns, a social worker; Dr. Patricia Symonette, a nutritionist and Senior Vice President of Doctor’s Hospital Western Medical Plaza; Rev. Terrance Morrison, Pastor of Zion Baptist Church, Shirley Street; Assistant Superintendent of Police Sean Smith, who is attached to the Research and Planning Unit and the Legal Office of the Royal Bahamas Police Force; Stephen Plakaris, an anti-drug crusader and community activist; Conrad Fernander, Assistant Manager of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute; Dr. Michael Toote, Pastor of the Centreville Seventh Day Adventist Church; Jeffrey Lloyd, Director of Youth Empowerment And Skills Training Institute and a Love 97 talk show host; Rev. Dr. Agnes Glinton, Pastor of Greater Love Ministries International and Quentin Gray; Senior Welfare Officer assigned to Her Majesty’s Prison.
Additionally, four international consultants have been contracted to assist the Commission. They are the fraternal team of Timothy Keohane and Patrick Keohane, who have over 72 years in prison administration in the United States and Canada .
The Commission has been given a four-month period to submit its recommendations to the government.
The study will include two broad objectives: To understand and explain specific factors associated with low rehabilitation and high recidivism rates among Her Majesty’s Prison inmates and to plan the premises, policies, programmes and procedures that would transform the institution into a rehabilitation centre.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt said the problem facing the prison is multi-faced. She said officials must tackle the 70 percent rate of recidivism; severe overcrowding; under staffing and low staff morale; improper inmate classification and separation; imprecise career paths for officers; antiquated regulations and procedures; insufficient staff training; over concentration on incapacitation as opposed to rehabilitation and integration; poor standards of health care and hygiene and weak linkages between the prison and related socio-economic and law enforcement institutions.
Prime Minister Christie said that he will soon appoint an Urban Rehabilitation Commission. It is envisaged that there will be collaboration between the two Commissions.
By Julian Reid , The Bahama Journal
