Sistah Joyce says prison taught her a lesson in humility
She was released from Her Majesty’s Prison at Balsum Ghut yesterday, July 26, 2013.
The 2012 Virgin Gorda Festival Calypso Queen was remanded to prison after defaulting on the payment of a fine of $40,000 for possession of marijuana. Sistah Joyce had made several attempts to accumulate the funds necessary to pay the fine but was unsuccessful at doing so and began serving her sentence on April 12, 2013.
Sistah Joyce, speaking to Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview today, July 26, 2013 said her prison sentence was completed but declined to speak about the remaining balance left on her fine. She also said that her three-year suspended sentence and three-year probationary period would be dealt with “when the time comes”.
“The most important thing is, I’m out of there [prison] and it’s all over,” Sistah Joyce said.
Sistah Joyce has jumped right back into the heat of things and has entered two songs, ‘BVI Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Go Balo Experience’ in this year’s Calypso competition. The calypso artiste said both songs speak for themselves and suggested that fans would easily gather the meanings once they listen to them.
She described her experience at the prison as being ‘rougher than sandpaper’. “My experience is in my song and I hope that government officials are listening and know that I always come with the truth in my calypsos,” Sistah Joyce said. She hope that investigations could be conducted at the prisons to determine the conditions and indicated that prisoners should not be treated in any lesser manner than other persons.
Her advice to women was that prison was not for them, “women especially, I would send out a warning from the four ends of the BVI, east, west, north and south: Stay away from the female unit at the prison!”
Women, she advised, should try their best not to get involved in any problems because it’s ‘not easy’. According to the artiste, food quality and unsanitary showers counted as her worst experiences while being incarcerated.
Sistah Joyce was thankful for all the support received and said she did her time after taking full responsibility for her actions. “I was not looking for any favours, I was not looking for any handouts… I’m now free and I’m going to try my best to stay focused… ”
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17 Responses to “Sistah Joyce says prison taught her a lesson in humility”
Sistah Joyce we missed you & we love you :)
putting someone in prison for any possession or connection with marijuana - is plain sadistic. The BVI
governments' laws on this are same as many territories and countries who think they too are 'civilized'.
It is NOT civilized to incarcerate people of even fine them ridiculous sums of money they don't have - all
over marijuana. The governments of the BVI and England should apoligize to the BV islanders and pay
compensation and make apologies for ever imprisoning anyone like that. Is slavery back again?
also,i don't care about independence as i'm not born here.