BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS part of the process of rehabilitating residents of Her Majesty’s Prison, Superintendent of Prisons Junie Hodge said he is seeking to implement a number of programmes while building on those instituted before his stint began.
Hodge, while speaking with SKNVibes, explained that for 2017, these plans include academic advancement as well as a transformation in the residents’ mindsets.
He explained, for example, that although the law states that these individuals at the Prison are to be referred to prisoners or inmates, he has the decision to refer to them as residents and he explained the reason for his decision.
“I refer to the inmates as residents. That is part of the rehabilitation process for them. Keeping reminding them that they are prisoners…after they would have left the institution, they still would think they are prisoners.
“They would have committed whatever wrong, found guilty, served time as punishment at HMP; so from the time they enter these doors that’s when the rehabilitation process begins. So instead of carrying the label of prisoner, it is my humble decision that they are the residents of Her Majesty’s Prison. In law they are still considered as prisoners or inmates but to change their mindset, instead of referring to them as prisoner or inmate, I refer to them as residents. So they can begin thinking about rehabilitation and reintegration into society.”
The Superintendent said since the unofficial name change took place, he is seeing change in the residents.
“One told me, ‘If one man can see the good in me - however little it is - by not labelling me, why should I label myself? I should move on and walk beside him so that I can make a better me’.”
Hodge told SKNVibes he is exploring the possibility of a job attachment programme in which the residents could engage as part of the rehabilitative process.
“One of the things that I am hoping to do - with the help of the government - is to have a job attachment programme. There are residents here who are highly qualified academically, skill wise also. The attachment programme would be such that the resident, if he or she is attached to an institution or a business place, they will be learning whatever skill or discipline at that institution, hoping that at the end of their time and when they are reintegrated back into society, they would be gainfully employed. Some of these businesses might recognize the worth of these individuals…”
Those found guilty of criminal acts are often cast aside by society and deemed hopeless causes. But Superintendent Hodge is of the view that regardless of the mistakes they have made, the residents of Her Majesty’s Prison are not beyond rehabilitation.
“They would have made mistakes but that does not mean they are entirely bad persons. Anyone of us can make a mistake, anyone of us can end up in Her Majesty’s Prison to serve our punishment. And the punishment is the sentence, the institution is not the punishment…”
Years ago, at the institution, life skills and academic programmes were implemented which led the residents’ successful writing of regional exams.
As expressed by Superintendent Hodge, he is hoping to take that to the next level. In this regard, he said he has already made contact with the Registrar of the University of the West Indies to find out if some of the residents can be a part of the online programme.
The success of these and others of the rehabilitation programmes of the “second chance programmes”, Hodge explained, would be largely dependent on the manpower complement of the institution as officers would be needed to accompany the residents on their various assignments.
