Dear Editor,

Please afford me the opportunity to express my opinion on the release of prisoners from the penal institutions in Jamaica.

It is absolutely not surprising that the posture of the State as it relates to release of low-risk prisoners is as such. The State has been operating a penal system that is predicated on retribution, retribution, and more retribution. It has little or nothing to do with rehabilitation of offenders. It believes inmates will change after being psychologically tortured by the environment prevailing in its penal institutions.

The Jamaican penal system is in a deplorable condition; often not fit for human habitation. In light of the present pandemic there is a need to reduce their population to mitigate against the imminent threat that COVID-19 poses should it take over the prisons. Social distancing cannot be practised in these institutions, with three inmates located in a 8′ x 5′ cell.

The penal institutions are overcrowded. Further, there are limited sanitary facilities, and bathing areas are woefully lacking. The nutritional and health care of inmates are relatively poor, will exacerbate the impact of COVID-19 on inmates. A breakout of COVID-19 will be catastrophic, to say the least.

It must be noted that the Jamaican State has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that a safe environment is provided for inmates, as they must not be subjected to depravity nor degradation of their human dignity.

Our judges must also be held accountable for the overcrowding in our penal institutions. They can employ a lot of alternative sentences that would result in non-custodial sentences for misdemeanours, such as community service and probation, to name two.

I am joining the call by Stand Up For Jamaica to release suitable low-risk inmates using the various mechanisms at their disposal to reduce the prison population and subsequently mitigate against the onslaught of COVID-19 in the penal institutions.

Civil society, private sector groups, and the Church must join the rallying call on the Jamaican State to act now to preserve the well-being of all inmates.

Mark Gillespie

Convenor

Prisoners’ Advocacy, Jamaica

St Catherine