BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER giving the Jail Delivery last week at the closing of the May Assizes, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Asheila Connor urged jurors and everyone present to be proactive in reducing crime.
He said everyone could do their part in reducing crime and although rehabilitation is ideal, it is costly.
Psychiatrist Sharon Halliday, who was also present in court, reiterated what Connor said and told those present to ask themselves what they could do as individuals to help prevent crime.
She said that a person’s personality is already formed at the age of five and it is important that society looks out for the youths.
Halliday said there are mentally ill and depressed people in society who do not attend counselling sessions; and because of their non-attendance, they speak harshly to their children which would destroy their self-esteem and ultimately lead to negative activities.
The psychiatrist said she knows that the Ministry of Education is engaged in several projects to combat crime, and advised that the former jurors should form a group in an effort to assist the ministry in its quest.
In the Jail Delivery Report, Connor said that 319 persons, including males and females in both St. Kitts and Nevis, make up the prison population.
He said there are 272 male and three female prisoners at Her Majesty’s Prison in St. Kitts while 47 male prisoners are at the Prison Farm in Nevis.
Speaking specifically to the distribution of the inmates, Connor revealed that 150 males and one female were convicted at the High Court; 63 males and one female were convicted at the Magistrates level; 65 males are awaiting trial at the Magistrate’s level while 26 males and one female are awaiting trial at the High Court level.
The Assistant Superintendent further explained that there are three debtors; two males are awaiting sentence; one male awaiting the hearing of his appeal and four males are at the court’s pleasure.
He also explained that there are five male prisoners in death row.
Connor said that the numbers have grown and there is little or no room left in the prison to accommodate additional prisoners.
He said that TDC donated a pontoon which would be used as a tailor shop and, in an effort to ease the congestion, a dorm would be constructed to accommodate at least 50 persons.
Connor said that many shops in the prison compound, including a carpenter and tailor shops, had to be converted it into cells.
He informed that the prisoners attend English classes twice a week and management is currently in discussions to have Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry included in the curriculum.
Connor said that various churches still go to the prison and host services with the inmates, and that the A Ganar programme, which deals with teamwork and anger management, is ongoing.
