Her Majesty’s Prison: Tortola Hilton Hotel & Resort?
The caller was at the time airing his concern on the issue of punishment for crimes on local radio talk show Speak Out BVI, aired on May 15, 2012.
“The penalties are not striking terror or fear to the people committing crimes, prisoners at the prison get better food than some of the free and innocent people in Tortola,” said the caller who noted that those who commit crimes should not be living a reasonable life while in punishment.
Host of the show, Doug Wheatley said there are a lot of problems in the prison system and from time to time there are cell phones found on the compound.
“Prisoners are living the life… the only thing that the prison prohibits is freedom of movement.”
He also agreed that the prison is not a scary place for criminals who do not seem to mind spending a couple of months there as it seems to strike no fear in them.
He suggested that government makes the penalties more severe and also agreed that inmates at the prison are too relaxed and “this should not be.”
“When a person got to jail they should not come out the same way they went in, they should come out more positive minded and ready to be a contributor to society and their own life,” said Wheatley.
Mr. Wheatley stated that persons aren’t scared to go to prison because the prison offers a steady meal plan and other ‘goodies’. He added that the prisoners are relaxing in prison, when they should go out and clean up the communities.
“It is not healthy for the prisoners to be sitting around.”
Rehabilitation Centres and alternative punishments for minor crimeAddressing the issue of prison overcrowd, Wheatley is recommending criminals with minor charges be sent to rehabilitation centers or given community service.
Wheatley stated that the Government should find ways to decrease its prison population and find other ways of helping and correcting the people of the VI.
“Majority of the individuals in prison are dealing with minor cannabis cases, if a person is caught with a very small amount of marijuana, why should they serve time in prison?” He added that some people use cannabis for personal use.
He said the Law Reform Commission Committee have in the past dealt with an alternative law on alternative sentencing, meaning that not everything has to go through the court, and sending everybody to prison. He suggested that this be revisited and applied more often.
In another example he stated that, “When a person is sent to prison for child support another way should be executed to deal with this matter rather than sentencing the individual to time in prison.”
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