DESPITE a drop in the number of female Jamaican drug couriers locked up in the United Kingdom, concerns are still fresh about the reintegration into society of the incarcerated women when they are released and deported to Jamaica.

“The numbers have dropped from nine per day to one per month,” Olga Heaven, director of the UK-based charity group Female Prisoners Welfare Project (FPWP), said Monday on the first of a two-day conference held by the local arm of the FPWP Hibiscus, at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.

“It is time to discuss what is to be done with the large numbers being deported back to Jamaica. We need to discuss the problem of rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration of returning ex-prisoners into society.”

Two years ago, there were over 700 Jamaican women behind bars for drug smuggling in the UK. Today, according to Heaven, the number has been reduced to 500.

Reverend Nims Obunge, convener of the British-based Peace Campaign, challenged local churches to welcome with outstretched arms women who had served time in prison and were being released into society.

“When a woman comes out of prison it is so pitiful that she can’t go to church and feel welcome,” Obunge said during a presentation. “You need to challenge your pastors about this. Give women back their self-esteem, no matter where they are coming from.”

In June 2002, Operation Airbridge, a joint effort by Jamaican and British law enforcement authorities to fight drug trafficking, came on stream.

The operation placed emphasis on heightened security at sea and airports and saw the installation of modern drug detection equipment.

As a result, more persons were arrested trying to leave Jamaica with illegal drugs and fewer were nabbed in British airports.

In the last four years, the number of persons caught attempting to smuggle drugs into Britain in their stomachs has dropped by 94 per cent – from 730 over the period of June 1, 2001 to May 31, 2002, to 41 from June 1, 2003 to May 31 last year.

At local airports, the numbers caught trying to smuggle drugs into the UK from Jamaica dropped by 74 per cent – from 260 to 64 over the same period. Two-thirds of the persons caught were male.

Narcotics enforcers say they expect only 36 persons to get caught this year.

“Operation Airbridge has acted as a deterrent to persons who would try to swallow drugs. We are confident that less persons will be lured into the drug trade,” John Whyte, head of London and National Detection Region for UK customs, told the Observer.

Since 2002, some 1,132 persons have been held trying to leave Jamaica with illegal substances; 322 of them were foreign nationals.

– walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com