No progress without prison reform | Editorial

By Kieron Murdoch | Opinion Contributor

Recidivism is defined as a tendency to relapse into a previous course of action, often despite the negative consequences of that behavior. In the context of crime, it refers to the tendency of those already convicted or punished for crimes to relapse into criminal behavior.

Recidivism is a major problem in Antigua and Barbuda according to our government officials. However, we are not unique, as recidivism or recidivism is a major problem in most places. Only a few countries have taken the steps necessary to proactively address it.

In a national address last week, the Prime Minister said he wanted the problem of dangerous repeat offenders at large to be tackled through the courts. He wanted lesser-known repeat offenders to be given bail and repeat and serious offenders to receive longer sentences.

While this approach may produce some results, we are primarily concerned about what we as a country do in our prisons and with our prisoners to reduce the likelihood of prisoners reoffending.

While we expect the Executive Branch to work with Parliament to begin addressing what they see as the judicial branch’s shortcomings in sentencing and bail practices, we urge both branches of government to remember that they are also responsible for a well-structured, multi-layered approach to reforming criminal behavior in our prison system, run by highly qualified individuals. If such a program does not exist, why is it?

What we have in prison now are half measures. There are initiatives, often run by dedicated and passionate individuals, to improve literacy, provide tertiary education, provide access to faith-based activities, and so on. We also know that there was once a prison farm program. These are all positive measures, but they are not enough.

The prison is an abomination that is not fit for purpose. It has been taken apart and rebuilt in the most piecemeal and incomprehensible way for years, without ever fundamentally addressing its core spatial and functional deficiencies. It does not provide for a comprehensive and effective program of rehabilitation of offenders based on the nature of their offense.

How can such a program even exist if we can’t even provide livable spaces for prisoners that don’t violate human rights? Look at the articles written about prison over the last decade.

The recurring themes are overcrowding, poor ventilation, lack of running water, infectious diseases, rat infestations, garbage cans instead of toilets, pit latrinesflies, stray cats, stifling heat, repeated escapes, poor food, smuggling of contraband, insufficient staff, low staff morale – the list is endless.

Furthermore, the official culture surrounding the prison is one of non-transparency, often leading to scandals around issues that were kept secret for too long before the public knew about them. Rumors of new challenges circulate endlessly before they are finally confirmed by government officials.

In the past, prisoners’ families often had to go to the media and raise the alarm before the government acknowledged a problem. Recently, the Ombudsman, acting in her capacity as the country’s human rights watchdog, reprimanded the government for the numerous human rights violations taking place in the prison, including the housing of minors there.

Given the crime crisis we are witnessing today and the focus on repeat offenders, isn’t it high time we put rehabilitation at the heart of our approach to the criminal justice system? What is the purpose of incarceration?

Punishment for the offender, deterrence for others, and the removal of dangerous people from society – these are often the ideas associated with it. But the simple fact is that prisoners will eventually leave prison.

Let’s place rehabilitation alongside the other goals of our prison system.

First, we need a purpose-built facility or at least one that has adequate space facilities. Band-aids and bandages in the form of endless expansion projects and renovations of the existing facility have not solved the problem and never will.

If and when we have enough space, we should imagine a prison where the system reinforces desirable values. Conflict resolution, aggression management, cooperation with your neighbors, playing by the rules, showing integrity and honesty – these should be important themes in how prison life is managed.

Time should be managed to promote favorable routines that reinforce good habits. Such habits should include punctuality, neatness, being well dressed, and preparing for a task.

Reward conformity and good behavior and limit privileges and freedom for non-conformity. The environment should be as free from violence as possible and isolation should not be the first option for punishment.

It is important that we take the safety and security of prisoners seriously. This means that the prison must ensure the safety of its inmates. Multiple men in cramped spaces creates insecurity. Prisoners must have individual cells and bathrooms.

Cleaning these should be part of their duties. Common areas and spaces should be monitored by cameras and guards at all times. There should be procedures for prisoners to raise the alarm in the event of an attack.

Little is said about the incidence of abuse, rape and other abuses against prisoners in our prisons, but we would be foolish to choose to blind ourselves to the reality of the existence of this type of violence within the walls of prisons. It must not be tolerated.

Those who commit such violence should be immediately removed from the general population, prosecuted and serve their time in isolation. The presence of gangs should also be prevented.

The system must do what it can to emphasize justice. Harm and injustice that prisoners inflict on each other should never go unpunished or ignored by those responsible for administration. Showing prisoners that when they are wronged, they can receive justice from a fair system will strengthen their confidence in the concept of justice.