Chuck Urges JPs to Visit Lockups

KINGSTON — Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has urged Justices of the Peace (JPs) to visit the jails regularly and demand that they are kept in proper sanitary conditions, and that inmates are rightfully detained.

Mr. Chuck, who was speaking at a Special Meeting with JPs in Toll Gate, Clarendon on Wednesday (October 19) at the Juici Patties office, emphasized that when they visit the jails, theys must pay careful attention to the station’s logbooks, to ensure that persons are not detained beyond the time for which the law provides and that the jails are habitable.

“I want you to work with the Custos to ensure that the jails are habitable places for human beings. We have to clean up these jails cells, it is human beings that we are putting in them and we must treat them like human beings,” the Minister said.

He noted that anyone can end up behind bars, and if they even have to spend just one hour in there, at least, it should be pleasant and decent.

“I am going to make sure that we can really move out injustice at every level of our criminal justice system. It is important for all of us… let us do justice in our court system and (our) justice system,” he told the audience.

Mr. Chuck said that keeping the jails clean was one aspect of delivering and ensuring justice to accused persons, and the vigilance of the JPs can help to improve the infrastructure.

“Between the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Justice, we want the courthouses and the police stations to be places where you don’t have to hold your nose, or close your eyes, to visit. They can be attractive places,” he stated.

By Garfield L. Angus, JIS Reporter