The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

During the decades of the fifties through eighties many Police Officers were sent to the UK for training. It was during my training at the West Riding Detective Training College I was taken to a Borstal Institute in a city in England. It is a prison for young offenders, who are taught trades while incarcerated and assisted to get jobs when released as certified tradesmen.

I was very impressed with what I observed. I know, that Sir Albert Miller had visited one of these institutes and Mr Salathiel Thompson, former Commissioner of Police, had knowledge of these institutions. When the latter was made Commissioner of Police, he recommended to government, that this maximum security unit of our prison be located on one of our Islands and the facility in New Providence be used for the training of young offenders in trades, such as; mechanics, bodywork, tailors, carpenters, masons and other occupations.

He expressed concern about prisoners in the maximum security unit being held in our tourism mecca. The possibility of a mass escape could destroy or retard our number one industry.

Thompson recommended the islands of Inagua, Andros or Ragged Island for the maximum security prison. He was aware that at one time the prisoners at Fox Hill had a tailor shop and produced uniforms and there was a cement block making business, from where cement blocks could be purchased.

In the cities where Borstal Institutes are located, the prisoners are used to provide labour in areas, such as repairs to government vehicles, furniture and buildings, which are savings of city expenditure.

In the early eighties, former Assistant Commissioners Courtney Strachan, Lawrence Major and I were invited by then Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling to discuss crime. The above recommendation for a maximum security prison, was one of the recommendations we made. The same recommendation was made by me to other governments, through letters to the press since then.

A maximum security prison could be built at Inagua where there will be re-enforcement from the Defence Force and could be used as a Detention Centre, from where the cost of repatriation to Haiti would be reduced considerably, as it could be done by boat.

It is time, that governments seriously consider the rehabilitation of prisoners, in a more suitable and humane environment. The institution at Fox Hill could be used as a trade school and detention centre for persons awaiting trial.

PAUL THOMPSON, SR.,

Nassau,

October 27, 2015.