PM Suggests Greater Use of Non-Custodial Sentences

Prime Minister Bruce Golding is advocating greater use of non-custodial sentences for non-violent crimes, and for convictions that might involve some level of violence, but not malicious violence.
Addressing a press briefing at Jamaica House, yesterday (July 23), to elaborate on his statement to the House of Representatives regarding legislative measures to strengthen anti-crime initiatives, he said such crimes would include, “the kind of violence that perhaps takes place in a fit of anger that does not involve murder.”
“I do believe that we need to take a serious look at them, because to the extent that these are not persons who are threats to society, then we can find some other way for them to complete their punishment, rather than having them crowd the prisons,” he added. Mr. Golding was speaking specifically to the question of space rationalisation in penal institutions, in light of the proposal to introduce legislation to specify that on conviction for serious gun crimes, a person will not be eligible for parole before 10 years.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that more persons would, in fact, be serving longer periods incarcerated under the proposed law, and that discussions had been held with the Commissioner of Corrections on this matter, in relation to space. He pointed out that space could be “made” as presently, there are persons in prison who do not necessarily need to be incarcerated.
“There are various procedures by which they can be taken out of prison – not necessarily released – some of them can be committed to community service. There are some that I think really ought to be referred to the Governor-General. When a man was sentenced at a fairly senior age for a crime, and has now got to a point where he is old and for all intent and purposes, harmless, but he still has four more years to go, there are some instances in which I think some special consideration can be given,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Mr. Golding informed that the inmate capacity at the Horizon Remand Centre is being expanded, but that the facility already has excess capacity that would be utilized.
“That capacity needs some work in order to bring it into service. That work is being done. It’s not extensive work; there are certain physical facilities or arrangements that need to be put in place. Once that work is finished, we will have capacity there for another 476 remandees to be held. We have initiated arrangements to increase the number of gun courts, judges and support personnel, in order to facilitate more speedy disposal of trials,” he told journalists.
The tightening up of court procedures is also critical to the process, the Prime Minister pointed out. “We expect to see a tightening of the procedures within the courts – the court administration – that hopefully will result in a decrease in the incidents of postponement or deferment of cases,” the Prime Minister said.
“There is greater collaboration taking place now between the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the preparation of cases. It was pointed out to us that we (the State) have prepared our cases, in many instances, very shabbily. We are seeking to tighten up on that. It is the DPP’s office that has to argue the cases and therefore they are providing guidance to the police in terms of how the cases ought to be prepared,” he added.