The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Michael Pintard said government should publicly explain what determines who is allowed to participate in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services’ work release programme.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard pointed to the murder of Timothy Saunders, saying the situation called into question the criteria by which “any administration” determines who should be on work release.

Saunders was on the scheme when he was killed on Monday at a Rubis gas station at Mackey and Madeira Streets.

The victim was near the end of his 18-year prison sentence, having been set for release in 2024 following a manslaughter conviction.

On the advice of Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander, the prison has suspended the work scheme “for security checks and rationalisation” for people who have been convicted of murder or manslaughter, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe told The Tribune earlier this week.

Mr Pintard told The Tribune the Free National Movement was concerned about the ongoing killings and the fact that the government is “playing down” the severity of violent crimes in the country.

“We’re deeply concerned about that fact as a priority that the government should have a sober and realistic talk with the various stakeholders about the crisis we are facing and put together a comprehensive plan that should include establishing a crime commission that will tackle dimensions of the administration of law and order,” Mr Pintard said in an interview.

“We know that this is not exclusively the function of the police to reduce and then end crime in general or violent crimes in particular. It has to be a multifaceted approach but the government is not having that kind of comprehensive talk with the various stakeholders. The one meeting we were invited to attend was simply briefing by the police and not in any way a conclave that had meaningful discussions about how to reduce violent crimes.”

He also said: “The fact that this particular victim was an inmate then calls into question the criteria by which any administration determines who should be on a work release programme and so the government should, in a very transparent way, explain to the public the mechanism that determine who is released on work release so that we can clearly understand how someone having charged with the offence that has been in the public domain was eligible for work release. But that is secondary to the more central issue of what is the government’s plan of action in terms of addressing serious crimes in general and violent crimes in particular.”

Mr Munroe said Mr Saunders was approved for the scheme under the Minnis administration. He said the deceased was approved on September 13, 2021, and began the work in February.

In response to the claim, Mr Pintard answered: “As I said before they are in the chair today. I do not know when he was approved and that is secondary to me. What’s important to me is what is the appropriate criteria for any inmate to be released. So, I’m not wasting my time or yours getting into a back and forth relative to when he was first released. The reality is unfortunately for him and for his family he is now deceased.”

Mr Munroe also said there were 17 people on the programme, 11 of whom were serving sentences for murder or manslaughter. All were approved under the previous administration.

He added nothing related to the work scheme has come for his approval so far in his tenure.