More Barbadian women are finding themselves at Her Majesty’s Prisons, Dodds.
Superintendent of Prisons Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse is reporting that Barbadian women are coming to the St Philip correctional facility for more serious crimes.
Speaking to the media on the prison grounds yesterday following the opening of a fitness centre, Nurse said while the overall female population at the prison remained low, there was a noted increase in the Barbadian population.
“What I will say, however, is that whereas in 2001/2002, if we had 30 females, 25 or 26 were foreign nationals, what I’m seeing in 2018 is that our locals are increasing in number and the foreign nationals are going down.
“So though my numbers may remain at 30 or 50 females, the foreign national to local ration is changing,” he added.
Nurse also noted the women coming to prison were doing so for violent crimes, such as murder or assault, than when he first became prison superintendent in 2001.
The prison boss said the majority of the male prison population were incarcerated due to drug-related crimes and sexual offences.
As it stands, the prison has a roll of 874; 851 males and 23 females.
Also of concern to the superintendent, however, was the number of youngsters being sent to prison and also the reason.
“[We see] 18-year-olds, 19s, early 20s . . . then once they come here, we would then have to identify what really led them to coming here, then develop programmes to suit them,” Nurse said.
“And then many of them are presenting violent tendencies. So not only do you have to deal with the background issues, but you have to deal with their need to express themselves through violence and other types of disorder,” he added.
When undertaking those customised programmes, the prison head said it was too early to say how they were working as measurements for that needed to be done over a number of years.
Nurse noted those prisoners struggling with addiction were far more likely to return to prison if there was not a supportive structure for them outside of the prison gates. (AD)
