The Bahamas has the eighth largest prison population in the world on a per capita basis and the second largest in the Caribbean, according to Superintendent of Prisons Dr. Elliston Rahming, who noted that this means that an estimated one out of every 200 Bahamians is incarcerated.
“In The Bahamas, we basically employ two measures against criminal conduct,” said Dr. Rahming, who was a guest on Love 97ﾴs ﾑIssues of The Dayﾴ. “Either the prisoner is fined or he or she is incarcerated.”
But he believes that there exists a serious anomaly.
“For example, a young man was convicted and pled guilty to possession of marijuana and the penalty was something like $1,000 or one year in prison. It costs $10,000 to keep a prisoner incarcerated for a year. So, if he could not come up with the $1,000, it costs the taxpayers $10,000 and something is wrong with that, but that is how we do business here in The Bahamas,” Dr. Rahming said.
He also noted that there are persons who are sentenced to life imprisonment who spend decades behind bars because there is no systematic way of weaning them out of the system.
In European countries, persons sentenced to life are incarcerated for an average of 13 years, according to the Prison Superintendent.
However, in The Bahamas, that time could span decades.
Dr. Rahming has stressed that this remains the case despite the fact that of the 115 persons given life sentences between 1973 to 1993, 15 have been released.
He added that of this figure, none has returned to prison
“We have not gotten around yet to systematically assessing lifers to determine at what point might they be incrementally tested to see how gradually they may be weaned out of the systemﾅand some should be,” he said.
“I think a person sentenced to life imprisonment should spend a minimum of 15 to 20 years. After that time, every three or five years, they should be assessed and given what the finding is, gradually weaned out of the prison system and reintegrated into society.”
Dr. Rahming also said that significant reforms are already taking place at the prison.
He indicated that later this week, Acting Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt, who is also the Minister of National Security, will officiate at the launching of the prisonﾴs Correctional Training Institute, which was constructed several years ago.
“We feel this is a major accomplishment for the prison in that there is a state-of-the-art building dedicated to the task of putting in place training for inmates, which in fact has already started,” Dr Rahming reported.
He said to date, in excess of 200 inmates are already enrolled in a variety of technical, educational and vocational programmes.
Of this figure, 65 inmates are enrolled in literacy courses; 12 in The Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) English course; nine in BJC Math; nine in The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) Mathematics course; 20 are studying entrepreneurial skills; 23 are studying basic literacy skills; 11 are studying management skills; 16 are enrolled in a welding course; 13 are studying small engine repair; 18 are studying electronics; 13 are in a ceramics course and eight are learning shell craft.
Dr. Rahming further indicated that an educational series out of Illinois would offer the opportunity for additional inmates to become enrolled in approximately five different computer interactive training courses in subjects like welding, carpentry and blueprinting.
Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
