The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 100 Bahamians have applied to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee so far for the year seeking to get their criminal records expunged, the committee’s chairman Paul Farquharson said yesterday.

Nineteen of those applicants have since had their records wiped clean.

“We had 123 applicants so far,” Mr Farquharson told reporters at the Ministry of National Security.

“In Grand Bahama, you have 25 applications. In Bimini, we’ve got eight and in Exuma, we have one. (For the) grant of expungement out of that lot—19 applications. We have deferred 24 to the Prerogative of Mercy and we have deferred for counselling, four applicants,” he added.

“The committee felt that by having heard those applicants, we felt that they needed further counselling before the committee could make a final determination.”

Mr Farquharson’s comments came after he presented businessman Perry Mortimer with his instruments for the expungement of his record.

The 54-year-old was convicted of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply after officers found him with six grams of marijuana 19 years ago.

Having been burdened with a criminal record for almost two decades, Mr Mortimer said he was grateful to finally feel “free” and thanked God for how far He has brought him.

“I’m just going to thank the Father, thank the committee and thank everybody for almost 20 years, I’m free and that’s like a burden off me. Maybe 20 or 30 years from now when history is written… maybe my grandchildren or great grandchildren will say well ‘he messed up, but he got himself together,’” he said.

Speaking on the negative impact a criminal record could have on one’s life, the 54-year-old said that being convicted can stagnate an individual due to missed opportunities.

Because of this, he urged young Bahamians to stay focused and not become involved in crime.

“It has an impact because sometimes you can’t travel so it affects your business and it affects the potential for your business because you’re limited to meeting people, you’re limited to exposures, different conventions abroad because of the (issue) you’re involved in so that right there, for a lot of young people, is really a challenge,” Mr Mortimer told reporters.

“And sometimes the potential of excelling in life becomes limited because they can’t go much further in terms of expanding their education, their contacts, connections and all of the other things that go with travelling and business.”

Yesterday’s exercise comes as more and more first-time offenders seek a clean slate, with the number of people applying to the rehabilitative committee said to be increasing “by the day”.

Earlier this month, Mr Farquharson told The Tribune the group was currently reviewing some 60 applications from Bahamians.

Several applicants met with committee members yesterday during an interview exercise held at the Ministry of National Security.

Darius Taylor, 30, was one of them. He told The Tribune he applied to the committee last year after he was charged in 2015 with possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The father-of-one described his experience in prison as being horrible, saying he wouldn’t wish the ordeal on his worst enemy.

“It was hell. It caused me to miss all the simple things in life,” he said. “That ain’t no good place for nobody in the world to go. You had to (defecate) in front of people in the bucket and that’s already cruel. You have to get stripped naked, that’s your pride gone and then they talk to you any kind of how and feeding you what they want (to) feed you. I wouldn’t send no one there.”

Mr Taylor said after he was released from prison, the first thing he touched was “a rock”.

“I wanted to see how a rock feels again,” he said.

Mr Taylor said since then, his life has taken a drastic U-turn and added that his main focus right now is just bettering himself for his family. He currently lives in Abaco and is a construction worker.

“I applied (to the committee) so I could get a better job to provide for my family and to open up certain doors that were closed to me by me having this bad record,” he said.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Amendment) 2015, people who have committed murder, manslaughter, treason, armed robbery, rape or possession dangerous drugs with the intent to supply 10 pounds of marijuana or two pounds of cocaine cannot have their records expunged.

But after five years most others are eligible if they are first-time offenders or were younger than 21 at the time of their first conviction.

These offences can also be considered by the Prerogative of Mercy.

“Our young people need second chances, sometimes they need third and fourth and fifth chances and that is what the role of the committee is – to assess these cases independently,” said attorney and youth advocate Tavarrie Smith at yesterday’s event.

“I want to encourage young people out there, if you fall within that category of having your records expunged, please reach out to the committee and make the application. Come and speak with them and see how best they can assist you because our young people need to have records cleaned. They need to be able to have jobs and to go off to school.”