The Tribune

THERE is a tendency at times for our nation to resist advice from outside bodies – but the criticisms levelled by the UN ought to be weighed appropriately, not least because they are reiterating problems we already know about.

There are problems with our bail system? Our own police commissioner gets in front of a camera to complain about that. The detention centre is in need of improvement – there have been many stories down the years pointing that out.

But it is the detail that helps to point out to us some of the specifics that are a worry.

Take for example the consideration that the financial cost of bail can be a burden on families who are already struggling, perhaps pushing them further into difficulties. It’s not the families, after all, who committed the crime, so does the financial cost play any part in reducing the risk of further crime or does it just add another challenge?

Last month, The Tribune wrote about some of the other problems of the bail system.

One woman talked of how if she could rewind time, she wouldn’t let her older brother get bail. Elvardo Deveaux was out on bail when he was shot dead at the age of 22. Was he out on bail too soon? Well, he had been on remand at prison for two years. He had not been found guilty in that time – he was accused of murder – but how long does someone not yet guilty of a crime have to wait in prison in the expectation of a trial?

Perhaps it would have meant he was alive still – gunned down in the street, one more of the 42 percent of murder victims this year to have been murdered while out on bail.

Could the monitoring system be more effective? Ministry of National Security consultant Carlos Reid said that the company monitoring the system has been ineffective, with police not receiving notifications. The monitoring company said the police are notified – with the president of the company saying “Let’s just say you broke curfew this morning. We will notify the police this morning.”

The Minister of National Security, Wayne Munroe, defended both the company and the police, saying: “Yes, Metro does report to the police violations. Yes, the police do follow up. Whether it’s within the timeframe that Metro thinks is efficient is a different question.”

So where does that get us?

There are other concerns from the UN group – such as not enough being done to prevent forced confessions. For clarity, that’s where prisoners are beaten until they admit to the crime, even if that means just saying anything to get their abusers to stop.

The Tribune has reported numerous cases over the years where there have been allegations of officers beating people to obtain confessions – but precious few cases where officers have been held to account.

One case in Eleuthera saw three people claim they were tortured by police – only for their official complaint to be adjudged to have run out of time for consideration even though they made it in timely fashion, and it was the police delay that made the complaint lapse.

The group also highlighted arrests without warrants, or detainees being held longer than 48 hours without extensions being granted by the court.

There is praise too – for improvements at the prison, and the addition of a medical block at the detention centre, so the report is even-handed.

The question of allegations of prisoners being abused ought not to be one we are still dealing with – it should not be too challenging to ensure that there is security camera footage within police stations to prevent such actions. We already have bodycams for police officers – so station cameras ought to be a standard feature too. That not only prevents abuse, but also protects officers from false allegations of abuse.

Some of the points noted by the UN group are stunning, though – such as the note that some prison inmates are losing their eyesight because of being locked up in darkness, or the detail that some people – some, not just one – have been in Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre for more than 30 years. No sign of rehabilitation there.

What matters, of course, is what happens next. This report should not just be filed in a cabinet to gather dust. What will we do to remedy the issues that have been highlighted?

That is the next question that must – and will – be asked.