News
Build new prisons to fight crime, says Wayne Chen
Luke Douglas
Saturday, July 31, 2010
BUSINESSMAN Wayne Chen is calling for the construction of new prisons to lock up more criminals as a key component in the fight against crime in the long term.
According to Chen, Jamaica must follow the example of the United States, which has incarcerated more of its citizens over the past two decades and seen its murder rates fall significantly during the period.
Addressing the Rotary Club of St Andrew at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel Tuesday, Chen said Jamaica has the lowest incarceration rate in the English-speaking Caribbean although it has the highest rates of crime.
"One of the key components in reducing violent crime (in the USA) is the huge rise in incarceration rates. Simply put, taking the people with the propensity to commit crimes off the streets reduces the number of crimes committed," Chen stated.
The United States has an incarceration rate of 760 per 100,000 persons, compared to Jamaica's incarceration rate of 174 per 100,000 persons, he said.
Chen — who is chairman of the Urban Development Corporation, board member of National Commercial Bank and president of the Jamaica Employers' Federation — said Jamaica's murder rate had moved from being twice that of the USA in 1989 to more than 11 times that of the USA in 2009, and was at least three times that of Afghanistan -- a country that is officially at war.
He called for a full discussion on how to finance new prisons by privatising them, as has been done successfully in South Africa.
Another long-term solution to crime, Chen said, was a greater focus of low-income housing to stem the growth of squatter communities, which he said have become a haven for criminal activity.
"It is not coincidental that the explosion in violent crime and murder in St James happened in parallel with the mushrooming of large squatter communities outside Montego Bay," he noted.
Chen said he was in favour of an extension of the state of emergency but only as a short-term "shock" measure, as mostly persons inner-city communities would be inconvenienced and have to give up their rights during this period.
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7/31/2010
And finally; why coating the United States Justice system instead of China?"..I thought you would be more a expert on the Chinese system than that of America. No Black person can go to China and become's active in public office. Please name one Wayne. My views are not meant to disrespect Wayne, it's just the reality, truth. More training institutes are better than Prisons. Blacks were incarcerated by the British, during and after Slavery; and now by the Chinese?". Wonder what have we done!!
7/31/2010
Fair enough, but reducing or even eradicating it is better. Social and economic programmes and policies is an method
7/31/2010
What we need Wayne Chen, is an efficacious method of getting these prisoners out in the fields to WORK and help get the country out of its crisis in terms of agricultural production.
7/31/2010
Bad guys must be locked up, no doubt about that. We Jamaicas can change the direction of our Youths. The implementation of a Compulsory educational Programme. Let us negotiate on the subject of re-opening Chestervale and Cobler youth camps. Those institutions have boarding facilities for Youths; they wer meant to train young Boys in various Skills, (discipline) They are allowed home on Weekends,"or Holidays. Building Prison is a indication of awaiting them to do a crime, we must prevent them.
7/31/2010
Come on Wayne, you're comparing apples and oranges-in order to incarcerate people you have to first of all solve the crimes! That's what the Jamaican police have not been able to do, whereas the Americans are quite good at it. Also, what's their rate per 100,000 persons shot by the police without evidence or trial compared to ours?
7/31/2010
It is not because of new prisons why crime rates are faling in the United States of America. If that were the case Canada would be steaming with crime, but Canada, which is not on a prison building spree, is experiencing a much less crime rate than the USA. One hopes that if Chen gets his wish a few white collar criminals will be the first to grace these prisons, and also those who aid and abet the criminals. They know who they are.
7/31/2010
Dear Editor, I must congratulate you for publishing this morbid idea of Wayne Chin. He has lost contact with reality. We cannot Copy the American Justice system, for several reasons..Number 1) Most of the prisoners in American Jails are Blacks, and are from a poor Background..several of them have not done the crime in which they have been punished for. The Most have been Poorly represented in Court. Several have been incarcerated on Chump up Charges, laced with racism. Come on Chin be realistic.
7/31/2010
Many research scientists in America have determined that America prison system doesn’t serve as a model anywhere in the world; instead it is looked at with horror. In 2007, James Q. Whitman, a specialist in comparative law at Yale wrote, “Certainly there are no European governments sending delegations to learn from us about how to manage prisons.”
Countries want America’s technologies, not its way of life.
7/31/2010
Mr. Chen do you really think that incarceration is the solution to our crime infested country. Will there be a rehabilitation program for the inmates while in prison Why not see the prolem for what it is, which is a lack of welfare system for the poorer class. I am positive that if the gov't provide some form of social system to help the poor, the crime rate would reduce significantly. What is the plan here? imprison the parents then have the children following there footsteps- a vicious cycle..
7/31/2010
We do not need any new prisons, what we need are cesspools to flush all the wasted sperm from the society.
7/31/2010
Tens of thousands of those in China’s prison have not committed any crimes. They are held in administration detention, which is a kind of reform labor camp for political activists. Japan, England and Germany have a rate of 63, 151 and 88 prisoners for every 100,000 people, respectively. While the U.S. top the list with 751 for every 100000.
7/31/2010
This is an unfortunate emotional recommendation coming from someone who doesn’t have a clue about what he is talking about; but will be taken seriously because of his status in society.
When you have a country with less than 5 % of the world’s population and a quarter of the world’s prisoners something is fundamentally wrong with such a system. The U.S. leads the world with 2.3 mil.’criminals’ behind bars. Next is China with a population four times that of the U.S. with 1.6 million in prison.
7/31/2010
Are you sure about your statistics.....sounds hairy fairy to me. If I were you Mr Chen I would br more concerned about my US visa or lack thereof.
7/31/2010
Or..! start freeing up some space in the prisons we already have by building a few gallows.
7/31/2010
What plans will there be after their release? Will there be Jobs for them? We cannot use the same strategy of fighting crime in the US and do the same for Jamaica. In the US they learn a skill and get a qualification. In Jamaica it is not the same. We need to try to mitigate crime, not to build more prison, which will cost the country more. Use money and spend on social development, finding the root cause and take it from there in developing a better Jamaica.
7/31/2010
Building prisons, but the government must make sure these prisoners are put to work. Lots of these guys who do not want to work, will not committ crimes if they know they will have to work when they are sent to prison.
So building new prisons , all prisoners must be made to work.
7/31/2010
Mi nuh blame u cause a u ago cristen it.
7/31/2010
I hope those who are calling for new prisons and are guilty of crimes will be tried and spend some time there as well.
7/31/2010
Stupid talk, why do have to use the stats of racist nations like South Africa and the USA to combat our unique crime problem. Think Wayne Chin, and read further, those majority incarcerated are young black men whom are serving sentences that are bogus and planted by white policemen. Privatization of prisons is another dumb suggestion with the Jamaican community. This would lead to another corruption of major proportions. Persons entering those prisons would be selected from the poorest parts.
7/31/2010
I strongly believe that Jamaica does not need more prisons in order to fight crime. What we need are more opportunities for its citizens to obtain jobs, start businesses and acquire more education. Where did we get these narrow-minded politicians who believe that the answer to fighting crime is building more prisons? God help us.
7/31/2010
First you have to develop the capabilities of detection, apprehension and conviction before they are confined to prison.
Building new prisons is the end initiative. They will remain empty if the other elements of the process remain deficient.
How about increasing the complement, pay and capacity of the JCF??
JA Cynic
7/31/2010
Wayne Chen as a point, not a promise for a fix, but he is right in that JA does have way too little incarceration. Still it is more due to a criminal justice system that is outdated, has ineffective laws & little controls against corruption. Couple that with high poverty & JLP/PNP paternalism instead of political neutral social prgms & you have a breeding ground for crime. Low income housing too is no solution. Look at TG! Change must start with crime & corruption no doubt about that.
7/31/2010
So you are saying it would be good business if we put approximately 5% of our population behind bar? Not a bad idea if you can get the Chinese to build low-cost prisons.
7/31/2010
There are important priorities that both government has overlooked.That massive correctional institutional should be already built,not in congested Kingston but in the country. we will alleviate the problem of housing incarcerated persons in cramp spaces.The ministry of national security should break ground now as we speak for the project..
7/31/2010
This is the most retarded solution I've heard to the crime problem! But then the prison system in USA is BIG BIG BUSINESS, so I guess Mr. Chen will be the first in line to submit his bid! Actually there is no proof that the spike in the number of persons incarcerated in the last 2 decades has a direct relation on the drop in crime in the US. Why not more trade training centres, child friendly schools, factories etc? Put more people in prison, privatize the system...and who stands to benefit?
7/31/2010
How can corrupt politicians who aids and abets criminals be allowed to build more prisons ?.
Who is it that will be given these contracts to build and maintain these prisons ?
It seems to me that the first priority should be to rid the country of corruption, including severing the link between politicians and criminals, thus restoring decency, integrity and accountability.
How about constitutional reforms, separation of powers and accountability ?
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