Crime doesn’t pay, but taxpayers pay for it!!

By Terresa McCall
Reproter-SKNVibes.com

Her Majesty’s Prison

Residents also gripe about crime and the effect it has on society - the moral degradation and social debilitation are but a couple of the areas that they discuss and they never fail to make mention of the crippling effect it has on those whose loved ones are either slaughtered or seriously injured during acts in direct contravention of the law.

Just about everyone is aware, on some level or another, of the fact that while crime does not pay, it surely has to be paid for; but the question is, “Exactly what percentage of the cost of crime do resident of St. Kitts and Nevis pay?”

Seeking answers to the posed question, SKNVibes contacted Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Patrick Martin who explained that while he was not in a position to state the exact cost of crime, it is astronomical and just as the number of violent acts has increased so have the associated costs.

“Violence results in injuries, disability and death. The family and friends may suffer from some injuries as a result of increased stress associated with a climate of crime. All of these crimes are handled by persons on the frontline of care in the Emergency Medical System, which is operated by a government hospital. Over the past decade there has been a significant increase in the number of injuries which were caused as a result of interpersonal violence; added to that are the injuries from motor accidents and routine emergencies.”

The CMO painted a detailed picture of the services and material used from the beginning to the end when a major casualty of crime is treated. These services and material, he explained, must be paid for.

“When there is an emergency and a 911 call is placed, an EMS Unit has to be mobilised. That has a cost in terms of crew and equipment. When a casualty is brought to the Emergency Room and it is s patient that is in serious condition, other staff has to be moved from other parts of the hospital.
 
In the ER, if the situation is serious, the person can be there up to two hours receiving high intensity care, and high intensity means high cost. If the person needs an x-ray, that is a cost. If the person needs blood tests, that is a cost. 

If the person needs to go to the Operating Theatre because of a shooting or a stabbing incident, they can be there from two to six hours, and there is an hourly cost. Things like anesthesia, electricity, water, needles, syringes, catheters, bandages, sponges, disposable supplies, and other operating supplies have to be paid for. 

“If all goes well, the persons would go to the Surgical Ward or the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). If the person goes to the ICU, there are even more costs. There are costs for lab tests! If the patient needs blood, there is a cost for that…IV fluids, medication, disposable supplies; if the person is on a ventilator, there is a cost for the oxygen; routine; rehabilitation therapy.”

When the patient is well enough to do so, he/she leaves the hospital and is issued a bill. These bills, according to the CMO are often unpaid. Thus, he further noted, a substantial percentage of the money used for the operation of the hospital is provided by taxpayers.

~~Adz:Left~~ “If all goes well the patient leaves the hospital and most do not pay. People are presented with a bill but they are free to ignore it…This is why 92 cents of every dollar used to run the hospital comes from tax payers’ pockets.”

Dr. Martin told this media house that a recent exercise conducted at the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis revealed that during any “major trauma” situation with which the hospital has to deal, an hourly cost of EC$2,900 is incurred, 92 percent or EC$2,668 of which comes from taxpayers.

Unfortunately, there are those victims of violence who succumb to their injuries and, in most cases, a forensic pathologist is flown into the Federation to perform the autopsy. This too has a cost.

As can be expected, costs associated with crime are not limited to the health care system.  Somewhere along the line, persons who are suspected of being involved in these criminal activities would be arrested and, in most cases, remanded to Her Majesty Prison. If not granted bail, they would remain there until their trial date arrives, and while at that facility money has to be spent to maintain them.

If the remanded person does not have and cannot afford a lawyer, one would be appointed and the counsel’s fees have to be paid by the state.

Should the person be convicted and handed a custodial sentence, it would be served at Her Majesty’s Prison, where, from the beginning to the expiration of the sentence, the prisoner must be maintained- eating utilities, medication, three meals per day, bedding, clothing, maintenance of the facility, electricity, water, etc.

SKNVibes sought to find out how much money is required to maintain a prisoner and, after several exhaustive efforts, this media was reliably informed that it takes somewhere between EC$70 and EC$75 per day. This is approximately between EC$25,550 and EC$27,375 per year for each prisoner. If one were to assume that the prison maintains a population of 250 for the entire year, between EC$6, 387,500 and EC$6,843,750 will be required to maintain it.

These are the realities of life in the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and something must be urgently done to ensure that not only a reduction in crime, but also prisoners must be made to earn their keep, which is another topic for discussion.