Phyllis Thomas, News EditorThe rate of recidivism (rate at which individuals return to prison) remains high in Jamaica despite efforts by the Correctional Services Department at rehabilitation.
Critics have questioned the effectiveness of some of these rehabilitative programmes but some of the very recidivists believe the state should not be blamed for their regular incarceration.
The ex-prisoners are taking the blame for their multiple violation of the law, that landed them in prison. It's our fault, they believe.
"A man got to know himself," said 45-year-old Trevor Colewho has been to prison twice for robbery, "You can't blame Government."
This position is supported by Desmond Rattray, 55, who has been to prison two times for fraud and forgery and who up to last month was fined $30,000 or more prison term, suspended for two years for a similar offence. "Prison can rehabilitate people. I have seen persons who were on death row, who were eventually paroled and are out here doing very well," he said.
But while these men sing the praises of the prison rehabilitation programmes, the fact is, they form part of the country's recidivism statistics. Between the period 1975 and 1988 that rate, according to the Correc-tional Services Department, remained constant in the 50 per cent range. It hovered between 25 and 48 per cent in the decade of the 90s except for 1993 when it was 54.4 per cent and in the year 2000 that figure went to 31.6 per cent.
Will and determination
The factors which impact on the success or failure of ex-prisoners' efforts to remain crime-free are multi-dimensional and include not only the prison reform programmes but external situations and influences like family, economic situations and even the prisoners' own will and determination not to return to prison.
The recidivists in Jamaica are mostly young men and women. It may surprise many to see women among these data but they are. Of the 255 women taken into the Fort Augusta Correctional Centre for Women in the year 2000, eight of them or three per cent were recidivists - mostly in their 20s.
But the claim that maturity and wisdom do accompany age was mocked by elderly returning females. At least two women who were over age 45 were making their fourth or more trip to the facility in 2000, for crimes committed.
That same year, 639 or 33.4 per cent of the 1,916 males in penal institutions were recidivists, figures from the Correctional Services Department reveal, but a breakdown of their age was not available.
The Sunday Gleaner was not able to locate any of the female recidivists for the purpose of this article. But the men we spoke to about their experiences in prison and their views on reform, along with the Correctional Services' response to questions sent to them by The Sunday Gleaner, are highlighted here so that the criticisms and conclusions that are made about the system, its programmes and products (the ex-prisoners) are shaped by information.
This is prison life through the eyes of the recidivist.
Mr. Rattray did long stretches at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre at Spanish Town, for fraud and forgery, the first one beginning in 1972 and the next in 1987. His latest crime was also for fraud. There were three of them involved in this crime, he said, however, he took the rap for everyone - something that people with similar ilk do for each other from time to time.
But Mr. Rattray has now made a commitment to remain crime-free for the rest of his life.
"I am not going back (to prison)," he declared.
The main reason for this lies with his family. His mother has suffered two strokes and although he was not explicit about this, his arguments suggest that he is carrying more than a bit of guilt over his mother's failing health. Furthermore, he said, "I have my children to live for."
But given his economic situation this could prove to be a challenge. He is not now employed and depends on family members abroad for support.
Prison life was not as difficult for him as it was for others. He was a senior orderly whose cell could well have been a studio apartment, with everything to his comfort from a television down to a pillow and even a hot plate. The privileges extended to him he attributes to luck because he got his visits in the superintendent's office, he said, and he was even allowed out on the street.
"I was lucky to be a senior orderly," he said. "He (the superintendent) allowed his driver to carry me to my home."
Not so, for the ordinary prisoners. They are crammed in one concrete cell with one bucket. Breathing is easier or more difficult depending on the institution where the prisoner is incarcerated. At the St. Catherine prison, for example, there are grills in the cells, they say, so people behind those walls do get a bit of air.
But life is difficult for the prisoner "without ratings" (those who are not popular with the crowd). This prisoner has to do everything that the rougher prisoners command him to do including taking out the mess. If nature calls for that prisoner during the night, he is in serious trouble if he did not learn the skill of controlling his sphincter muscle that supports his bowel.
"They have tied their toes together with cord to prevent them from messing up themselves," Mr. Cole said.
The prisoners "with ratings", he said are those who get regular visits from families who carry their "long bag" (with food, money and everything else).
Mr. Cole admitted that his drug habit could have caused his multiple entry to prison. He smoked ganja, took cocaine, morphine and whatever else he could get. That could have caused the robbery. He did not want to provide any detail about the last incident but said he could have been framed.
The privileges extended to Mr. Rattray were not given to him. Nevertheless, both men share one thing in common: their account of some of the activities that dominated prison life. These include gambling, especially during race days at Caymanas Park. There is an established bookmaker (one of the prisoners) and others place their bets with this bookmaker or have warders purchase bets on the streets.
"There is money runnings just like on the street," Mr. Rattray said.
None spoke of any productive activity. Only about being locked down at certain hours and being called out of their sponge/concrete beds (again, depending on which prison the inmate finds himself in). But it was evident from pictures that Mr. Rattray supplied of his cell that projects which stimulate their creativity are there. By no stretch of the imagination could the varnished chair and end tables in the pictures, have been smuggled in.
The Correctional Service Department says the definition of a recidivist is important and is as problematic as measuring the success or failure of reform strategies.
Community service
These are the factors to examine. Is the recidivist the person who breaks the law again and is again sent to prison? Then how do we categorise the person who breaks his/her parole and is returned to prison? Or the person who is committing another crime but who is not sent to prison, but who is given a non-custodial sentence? For that has become an inevitable option now, to ease over-crowding in the prisons. Indeed, some 1,502 persons were ordered to do community service in the year 2000 and another 1,099 were given other non-custodial sentences.
Our arguments could be flawed too, if we judge the strength or weakness of the reform programmes merely on the number of recidivists - those being convicted again - and regardless of the kind of sentence. The department explained that if a group of prisoners in the system are placed in certain programmes, and if there are recidivists from those programmes, then we could begin to measure the success or weakness of those programmes, against the background of factors in the community, the family and the wider society, which impact on recidivism. What must also be taken into consideration are those prisoners who received short sentences which prevented them from participating in the programmes.
When all is said and done can we say that the rehabilitative measures employed in the prisons are effective? Look at what Deputy Superintendent Cornwall "Bigga" Ford has to say about the once dreaded convicted killer, the "Phantom" of East Kingston (Page 1A of today's Gleaner) "I remember him...he was a terrorist. God is really great to make such a dramatic change in a person's life. He is evidence that rehabilitation works."
But the message to heed comes from recidivist Mr. Rattray: "Don't get involved with the law. It is not easy in prison."
Not their real names
