Incarcerated dancehall artiste Ninja Man believes that his letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, which was released last year, may have triggered some positive changes in the penal institution regarding the rehabilitation of inmates in the correctional system.

In a second letter penned by the ‘Hortical Don’ singer, he acknowledged that there have been subtle, but positive changes since the publication of that initial letter.

“I have seen where changes are beginning to take place in the institution. I am not sure if those changes were manifested in thought before the letter, but I have seen them being implemented since,” Ninjaman’s letter said.

Ninjaman said that while the ruling party did not formally acknowledge the letter, there had been no criticism – an auspicious sign, according to the deejay.

“I want people to understand that they did not ignore that letter because it was mentioned several times whether on the campaign trail or in parliament, it was acknowledged and was not criticised in any way,” Ninjaman’s letter said.

Ninjaman thanked the Opposition leader Mark Golding and the Chief Justice for acknowledging the letter.

“What we must all remember is that while they may take time to recognise the letter, they are in no way, shape or form obligated to do so and that is why I laud them in this moment,” he said.

In November 2023, Ninjaman sent his first missive to Prime Minister Andrew Holness in which he offered to lead a comprehensive rehabilitation programme behind prison walls.

The letter, which was also sent to National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, was reportedly compiled by JoJo Mac.

READ: Ninja Man calls for government support in spearheading prison rehabilitation program

In his second letter, Ninjaman reiterated his intention to lend his resources and energy towards any rehabilitative efforts inside the prison walls.

“Through my team on the outside, they are willing to make donations, whether monetarily or donations in the form of equipment or other supplies that are needed to make this a reality. We could do this through contact with the relevant authorities. As I suggested, having access to learning new skills or improving on the skills they already have can be a huge part of the rehabilitation process,” Ninjaman said.

The dancehall star gave the public a dose of “reality” about the mentality of institutionalised inmates.

“Not everyone institutionalised had, or still has bad intentions, so if they are offered options that can assist them in being progressive members of society when they are released, the country will benefit,” Ninjaman, who at one time was known as the Don Gorgon, wrote.

He suggested that inmates with specific skill sets could serve time by passing on their skills to other individuals through supervised classes.

“….the institution could offer classes to help them garner skills that will help them when they return to society. The aim would be to not have criminals return to society but people who will be geared for a more purposed lifestyle,” he mused.

Ninjaman also posited a radical idea that “the facilities at Spanish Town prison can be used for livestock farming.”

“People talk about prisoners living on taxpayers’ money; that can be a thing of the past. We need to utilise the facilities at Spanish Town Prison for livestock farming, there is a greenhouse that can be utilised to help fund the prison system as well. People who pay taxes would like to see their taxes used in other ways to support the country, not feed able-bodied prisoners, but funding is needed to implement these efforts,” Ninjaman wrote.

In closing, he begged “the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, Minister of Security, Minister of Justice and other relevant members of government to walk the prison”.

“….have conversations with the prisoners, so you can see that there are many people with a lot of good inside who are willing to be rehabilitated. The Jamaica Defence Force can help in this feat. As we all know, teamwork makes the dream work,” Ninjaman urged.

Ninja Man, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2017 for the 2009 murder of a Kingston man. The 57-year-old must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be released on parole.

Ninjaman has had a colourful dancehall career based on his electrifying live performances all over the world and his hard-won ‘bad-man’ dancehall persona. He is known for singles such as My Weapon, Reality Now, Permit to Bury, Murder Dem, Write Your Will, Old Picture Frame, Education, Legalise the Herb and A No Cub Scout featuring Bounty Killer.