Dear Editor,

Permit me to emphasise the general need for effective execution of our well-written policies. Based on the Revised Lock-Up Administration Policy, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is responsible for the “proper” management of all police lock-ups and the safety and welfare of all those in police custody. It means, therefore, that people who are kept in lock-ups after being sentenced to short-term imprisonment, or in the case of the recent casualties, awaiting trial, are to have their rights protected.

One of those rights is to safety while in custody. If those incarcerated, the cells, passages and general facilities were in fact searched for weapons or other contraband beforehand, as the JCF’s policy instructs, how were weapons introduced to the disagreement between inmates? Allegedly, knives were responsible for the fatal wounds. Knives are listed as one of the unauthorised items. What does the divisional officer have to say?

What makes the situation more peculiar are the utterances of a relative of one of the deceased. According to that relative, there was a previous instance where Romario Reid was hurt in the same cell. The Constabulary Communication Unit also gave a very simplistic overview of the incident so far — cellmates released on the hour were then attacked by neighbouring cell occupants. It should be interesting to see how further details emerge.

However, it is highly unlikely that we will see the kind of coverage and outpouring of sentiments as we did in the case of Mario Deane, who died in similar circumstances. Unlike Deane’s case, people are faced with the dilemma of seeing the humanity of those individuals through the fact that they were being held for serious crimes. As such, I do hope the comments of Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams, on not taking such incidents lightly, indicate an intention to hold those found responsible accountable.

Western Jamaica has been at the centre of a trend in breaches at lock-ups for too long. There definitely needs to be thorough investigation into the competence of officers wielding the power of the law, and put in charge of lives. Importantly, a determination has to be made on whether policy is, in fact, put to practice at the Savanna-la-Mar lock-up and others islandwide. This also presents an opportunity for the JCF to be transparent and responsive to the qualms society has about the goings-on in the country’s lock-ups/prisons.

Yohan Lee

St Andrew

yohan.s.r.lee@live.com