BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – GLOBALLY, prisons have been branded universities of crime in which novice criminals are exposed to opportunities to learn from their seasoned counterparts. But is it only negative things and events that occur in penitentiaries?
No! I would say, for there are many positives that occur in some prisons that do not reach the public domain unless spoken of by inmates upon release, or prison officers and other privilege workers of the correctional institutions divulge such information.
Information about some of the positives activities currently taking place in the Federation’s penitentiary were aired yesterday (Mar. 21), and Winn FM could not have been a better channel for dissemination to listenership locally, regionally and internationally.
Hosted by Newrish Nital, a popular Mathematics teacher, Chemist and host of the ZIZ television education programme ‘Ask Nital’, yesterday’s ‘Voices’ call-in programme had seen five inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison as special guests, who have all gotten their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) certification in a number of subjects with very good grades.
The inmates, Vincent Fahie of Market Street, Wycliffe Liburd of Stapleton Village, Antwan Thompson of Keys Village, Shaheed Williams of St. Paul’s Village and Wayne Matthew of Lodge Village, were in high praise of Nital for his sedulous work in assisting them to achieve academic excellence as part of their rehabilitation agenda.
Together these inmates have achieved passes in 36 CXC subjects - Matthew gained seven, Williams nine, Liburd four, and Fahie and Thompson eight each. All of them are currently preparing for their ‘A’ Levels.
They were each allowed a few minutes to introduce themselves,; all of whom were eloquent in their delivery, especially Liburd who is said to be serving 25 years to life.
“First and foremost, I must have to say that even a mastership cannot unscramble eggs. I have to give an apology for being an inmate or resident of Her Majesty’s Prison. I had to do some bad steps that diverted me from a good path. However, when I encountered Nital, he brought me to a place where I could understand that there is much to offer in life and provide an opportunity for me to exhibit my acumen,” Liburd said, adding that words could not express his experience since encountering Nital and being taken under his “academic wings”.
He also highlighted the subjects in which he was successful and how he became one of Nital’s students.
“Unlike certain guys, I only have four subjects. I have Literature, English, Human Social Biology and Accounts. From the onset I was not really interested in sitting subjects, but Nital saw me floating around in the institution and he said, ‘Yo bulldog, time to tek off the spike collar.’ And he encouraged me to do better.”
Liburd declared that during his studies he was supported by many other students who are also inmates and that he is currently preparing himself to write ‘A’ Levels in Principles of Business and Economics.
In spite of his past, Nital lauded the young man for the assistance and encouragement he and former inmate Ramie Gumbs had given to prisoners who could not have afforded lawyers to represent them in court.
“He has a very good verbal dexterity. He, like Ramie Gumbs who was there, the two of them were the leading English students at the institution with respect to verbal dexterity. Wycliffe and Ramie, again, those guys are also very versed in law. They had assisted many inmates with their depositions, their transcripts, help them to relax and rehearse with them prior to going down to the courthouse and really giving them good information for their cases, especially those who couldn’t afford a lawyer. They have been the lawyers, legal counsellors to many persons at that institution.”
Nital also lauded the others and singled out Williams who is awaiting trial for more than four years to date, and whose nine subjects included Human and Social Biology, Biology and Physics.
According to Nital, Physics is not an easy subject and achieving a Grade Two pass and doing 80 to 95 percent of the required work on his own and without lab exposure, Williams needed to be highly commended.
The teacher spoke to Thompson’s achievements. From among his eight subjects, six of them were Grade Ones including Principles of Business, Accounts Economics. This young man was encouraged by the CXC Board to pursue a career in business. He and Matthew had also done well in Spanish; a language in which they are very fluent and had encouraged the Spanish community in the Federation to call in to the programme if they had any questions. They did so in Spanish.
Fahie, who is serving a life sentence, is said to be playing a very important role in prison. According to Nital, “Fahie has been designated Head Teacher in Her Majesty’s Prison. When I am not around, he is responsible for putting everything together and he does not let anybody get away. As long as you are of a certain age and you enter the institution, he hunts you down.”
On behalf of his fellow inmates, Antwan Thompson made a plea to the general public for acceptance back into society upon completion of their sentences.
“I would like to encourage the public to truly support us, because we have now seen the need to really make a change to contribute meaningfully to our society. And let us hope that the opportunity will be provided for us to exercise what we have learnt.”
Over the years, Newrish Nital has done a highly commendable job with the inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison. These five individuals are only some of the prisoners who had achieved academic success under his tutelage.
As one inmate said, Nital is his good friend, teacher and father figure, who nurtured him to become a scholar.
Let us all wish them well and on their return to society offer them the opportunity to walk the straight and narrow road.
