The Tribune

IN THIS column yesterday we commented on this country’s mushrooming crime problem. Today we have too many accused persons — from petty crimes up to murder – roaming the streets while awaiting their day in court. They have all been released on bail by the courts. The more serious offenders wear an ankle bracelet, but that does not seem to make it any easier for the police to keep tabs on them. Not able to get a job, and in need of fees to engage a lawyer, one doesn’t have to stretch the imagination too far to know what these jobless accused are forced to do under the shadow of darkness. No wonder the police complain about the courts’ “revolving doors” which keep them running with handcuffs behind the same offenders.

On the other side of the coin there is an increase in drive-by shootings, possibly one offender settling a grudge or maybe even passing judgment on a crime yet to be tried in court. In other words there is a band of citizens who have replaced the courts and are settling scores on the streets. It doesn’t even reduce the court calendar, all it does is replace one dead accused with two or three others that the police now have to track down.

Many of these accused persons now out on bail have to use their wits to stay alive long enough for their court date. While they wait, they have to eat, they have to hire a lawyer, but they also have to have income to satisfy these needs. And so petty crimes of necessity continue.

The courts are possibly granting bail because the prison cannot accommodate any more inmates.

The court calendar cannot be increased particularly when popular lawyers overbook their clients so that their court dates conflict and when they should be in one court, they have to excuse themselves because they are already appearing in another court before another judge. As a result the court calendar is delayed – it is no longer “swift justice”, but confused justice, because lawyers themselves seem unable to regulate their own calendars.

It has been suggested that magistrates should have a list of future court dates of each lawyer appearing before them so that they will know how to schedule the next appearance for the accused then sitting in the box.

We are told that such a system worked well when the gun court was in existence.

However, it is causing confusion in the magistrate’s courts because an accused is turning up on the appointed date, but without his lawyer who is in another court with another client. No wonder cases are backed up.

With a bit of imagination and consultative planning this should be of easy solution between bench and attorney.

It has been suggested that a large piece of Crown land be granted for a special prison to hold all of those parsons sent down by the courts on remand - no more bail, and certainly not for anyone charged with murder or gun illegal possession. These persons while they await trial should be supervised in the cultivation of the land, not only to feed themselves, but to sell their produce to the community. If done under expert agricultural supervision, such a farm could financially help support the maintenance of the prison as well as feed the inmates. We all know that this country is strapped for money. But such an investment could possibly pay dividends in the end. Bahamians in certain areas would certainly sleep in peace at night, and children would be able to do their homework without fearing that a stray bullet will end their life.

The Archdiocesan Catholic Church Men’s Association (ACCMA) working with the Department of Correctional Services recently announced a Hope programme to help rehabilitate prison inmates, and provide them with legal aid and jobs during and after their release from prison.

These men are to be commended for the work they are doing.

However, we would suggest one or two of them try to get in touch with a most impressive training programme — Jobs for the Future — created as an alternative to gang life for high-risk youth.

At least one of our Bahamian police officers has visited the group in Los Angeles and seen the long lines to a restaurant run by the Homeboy Industries — all recovered gang members. It is said it is the most popular restaurant in Boyles Heights, Los Angeles.

This is only one of the many programmes that have been created for wayward youth to turn them into useful and respected citizens.

The Homeboy Industries was started in 1988 by Father Greg Boyle, SJ, as a job training programme— an alternative to gang-life for high-risk youth, living in Los Angeles in an area with the highest concentration of gang life in the US.

“In those early days,” said a report, “Boyle found sympathetic businesses that agreed to hire recovering gang members.

“In 1992, an abandoned warehouse was converted into the first business, Homeboy Bakery, to create more opportunities for employment. The Bakery started off producing tortillas and eventually received a contract for baking bread. Eventually more businesses were added, and in 2001, Homeboy Industries became an independent non-profit.”

Since then many more interesting and successful programmes have been added.

It would be good for the ACCMA to make contact with this group so that they can get some ideas from them as to how to capture Bahamian youth before they can graduate to HM Prison, Fox Hill.

The address is Homeboy Industries, 130 W. Bruno St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012. The e-mail address is: info@homboyindustries.org