A new prison is needed for Jamaica, but rehabilitation is a must – Petchary’s Blog

On August 11, 2024, a horrible massacre occurred in a place called Cherry Tree Lane. What a pretty place it must be, one might think; but it is now steeped in blood. Through the mists of the hot air being blown around during the week or two after the killings, the question of a new prison gradually emerged – not for the first time. Why was that? Because it was asserted that the mass killing was orchestrated by someone from behind the prison walls, in collaboration with overseas interests.

How could this be, one wonders? Well, there is the perennial issue of corruption in the prisons, which confronts us time and again but is continuously papered over. It is one of the many “elephants in the room” in Jamaica that people would really rather ignore, because it is too uncomfortable to confront those pachyderms in a small space. Essentially, prisoners pay for privileges, items including cell phones are smuggled in, and so on. It appears that, over the years, little has been done to prevent this – even though the activities of some prisoners result in the deaths of others outside the prison walls. “Hits” are ordered. And as one prison warder said“And it’s not just coming from the low down, the low foot of people, it’s coming from the high horses, too.” The high horses. What has been done to address all this? Not much.

The new prison issue came up some years ago, if you recall, when the then British Prime Minister David Cameron paid a quite controversial visit to Jamaica in 2015. He proposed that his Government would build a lovely new prison, to accommodate the Jamaicans who were taking up space in his own prison back home, and who would be deported at the end of their sentences anyway. This idea was not welcomed by many Jamaicans, but the then administration of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller seemed to be considering it. However, was a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the time by National Security Minister Peter Bunting? Perhaps it’s been torn up, by now. Meanwhile, although our current political administration acknowledges the need for a new prison, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has suggested that there are not enough funds in the kitty for such a major project. Perhaps we should have taken Mr. Cameron up on his offer, after all.

Tower Street Correctional Centre, Kingston.

So, I feel compelled to write about the issue of the current state of our prisons. It’s not a particularly cheerful story. Have you ever taken even a passing glance at the Tower Street penitentiary in Kingston? It’s a gloomy, tottering red brick edifice bristling with barbed wire and guard towers, sitting a stone’s throw from Kingston Harbour’s somewhat murky waters.

Most of us don’t look at it; we focus on the high rises of downtown Kingston, as we pass. In fact, sadly, many Jamaicans are not particularly concerned about what is within those prison walls, or who is incarcerated therein (unless they happen to be a dancehall star). As SUFJ’s Carla Gullotta pointed out, in general “people don’t have sympathy for those in conflict with the law, because Jamaica is an aggressive society.” Wrongdoers must be locked up, and the key thrown away.

OK, so prisons don’t have to be pretty places, just functional; and they must be secure. That is clear and obvious. Tower Street Adult Correctional Facility, to give it its grand name, was built to accommodate not more than 800 prisoners, but now holds at least 1,700.

For the human rights lobby group Stand Up For Jamaica (SUFJ), however, a modern equivalent of the grim Tower Street building is not the way to go. Any new prison must be designed with rehabilitation in mind; currently, access to educational opportunities behind bars is extremely limited, as SUFJ points out in its press release below. So much more could be done.

And the conditions are appalling, well below international standards. As SUFJ’s CEO Carla Gullotta noted in a recent television interview, “prisoners do not even have the space to lie down in a cell.” The infrastructure, she observed, “is falling apart.” After recent earthquakes, some parts of the Tower Street and St. Catherine prisons were found to be unsafe and were closed, increasing the overcrowding.

But, let’s face it: prisons – whether it’s improving the current dreadful conditions, rehabilitation, or building new facilities – have never been a priority. This sounds like more kicking the can down the road. The topic is already dropping out of the media radar. Again.

Again, though, the question is: Can we afford not to build a new prison?

Visitors gather outside the Tower Street Correctional Centre in Kingston.

Here is SUFJ’s press release, with more details:

Stand Up for Jamaica Executive Director Carla Gullotta is backing calls for the construction of a new prison, but is maintaining that greater emphasis must be placed on rehabilitation to ensure that all the necessary systems and resources are in place to facilitate the reform of all prisoners.

“A new prison is needed, but it depends on the type of new prison we are planning for.

If people are planning for a maximum security prison that can be an option, but the main thing that we should consider is that a new prison should be built, on standards which allow access to rehabilitation for all otherwise it is a missing goal…

Source: A new prison is needed for Jamaica, but rehabilitation is a must – Petchary’s Blog

The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 3 – « Washington – Amazon » 3:44 | Barbara Crane Navarro

« Fire Performance » burning of my totemic sculpture in the Yanomami village of Arata-Teri, Alto Orinoco, Amazonas, Venezuela – photo: Barbara Crane Navarro

« Washington – Amazon » alternates scenes from two art installations of my paintings and totemic sculptures in Washington D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, USA, with the « Fire Performance » burning of one of my totemic sculptures in the Yanomami village of Arata-Teri in the Alto Orinoco region of Amazonas, Venezuela.

Sound Design by César Antonio Estay Herrera

 

Here’s the film:

For more information about the Rainforest Art Project, please see my website here:

http://www.barbaranavarro.com

« Fire Performance » burning of one of my totemic sculptures in the Yanomami village of Arata-Teri, Alto Orinoco, Amazonas, Venezuela – before and during photos and photo montage: Barbara Crane Navarro

And here in a blog by Palm Oil Detectives:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/114089794/posts/3744071063

Thank you so much for appreciating my work!
Barbara

Please help protect the forests, rivers, wildlife and the lives of the Yanomami and other Indigenous peoples by boycotting ALL products from deforestation; gold, palm oil, exotic wood, gemstones, soy, beef, leather, etc. 

Source: The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 3 – « Washington – Amazon » 3:44 | Barbara Crane Navarro

Os pulmões doentes da Amazônia! | Barbara Crane Navarro

A região amazônica “tombou” devido ao desmatamento desenfreado. Agora ele emite mais dióxido de carbono do que absorve. Isso já está tendo efeitos devastadores Desmatamento colossal, monoculturas, secas, incêndios. A floresta amazônica está gravemente ameaçada (rebanho de gado durante um incêndio florestal na região de Nova Fronteira, 3 de setembro de 2019). Por Leo Correa / AP / […]

Os pulmões doentes da Amazônia —

Source: Os pulmões doentes da Amazônia! | Barbara Crane Navarro

Unsealed FBI Doc Exposes Terrifying Depth of Russian Disinfo Scheme | The New Republic

On Wednesday, the DOJ announced it would seize 32 internet domains linked to a larger Kremlin scheme to promote disinformation and influence the 2024 election. The Russian campaign, known as Doppelganger, uses AI-generated content to create “fake news” boosted through social media with the aim of electing Donald Trump…

…Of particular note, the documents released Wednesday included an affidavit that noted a Russian company is keeping a list of more than 2,800 influencers world wide, about one-fifth of whom are based in the United States, to monitor and potentially groom to spread Russian propaganda. The affidavit does not mention the full list of influencers, but is still a terrifying indicator of how deep the Russian plot to interfere in U.S. politics really goes.

The Doppelganger program and its “Good Old USA Project” aimed to mimic mainstream media outlets to push pro-Russian policies through fake social media accounts. Documents show that the Kremlin specifically targeted Trump supporters, minorities, gamers, and swing-state voters by spreading far-right conspiracies and capitalizing on existing divisions in U.S. politics.

Source: Unsealed FBI Doc Exposes Terrifying Depth of Russian Disinfo Scheme | The New Republic

6 on 6 – manias literárias – O Outro Lado

o afecto dentro da palavra ‘quintal

ais além dos sonhos repousa uma palavra que nos acalma depois das grandes chuvas.
é como se no chão se abrisse uma enorme janela; um tapete como passagem para outros mundos. o afecto. as aprendizagens. a lentidão da comida. tudo, tantas vezes, cabe na palavra quintal.
Ondjaki

Bambina mia,

Depois que “ouvi” sua missiva confesso que quebrei o resguardo dos olhos e fui ali procurar o tema delicioso para caber mais no lugar redondo de suas palavras. Te contei que quis muito pendurar em um quadro seu áudio. Pena que AINDA não posso fazer isso. Mas, voltando ao assunto do tema, durante minha busca eu achei outro texto do mesmo poeta que eu já admirava, e um título me chamou atenção para o afeto dentro da palavra quintal, e de quintal você sabe que entendo. E claro, que minhas manias literárias cabem na palavra quintal e afeto. Meu quintal sempre serviu de amparo-cuidado-afago-ombro em dias difíceis e também companheiro em minhas leituras e arte.

Sempre que folheio um livro estou acompanhada de xícaras… seja com café, água, sucos e café. Logo para além da varanda, entre uma busca e outra de livros ganho companhias de asas… sejam de farfallas – como você diz – ou de aves. Geralmente, é no meu quintal que nossas conversas acontecem. É nele que te mostro a mágica de asas, de flores, de folhas, de poder escrever e até minhas lágrimas em momentos de dores.

Você sabe que é ali – ou aqui – debaixo do meu pé de ipê que nossos diálogos viram horas e horas de trocas… e é também onde recolho as folhas que servem de marcações de páginas dentro das histórias que leio. Tem aquelas que guardei para te entregar pessoalmente, a que se quebrou dentro do poema que amo tanto… As que vieram pelo vento e nem nasceram aqui, mas de algumas forma se misturam com as folhas dos livros que leio.

Sabe, bambina mia que também me peguei pensando se nosso encontro já estava programado em alguma esquina ou se fui eu que te encontrei entre os tantos atalhos que pego na vida… acho até que já te falei sobre isso e já te conto sobre uma outra mania minha que vai para além do meu quintal… esparramo os livros na cama e vou levando-os para o quintal. É onde leio algumas passagens de poesia para os pássaros.

Outra mania literária – ou sei lá que nome dou – é colher as flores que se desprendem dos galhos, seja pelo vento, ou força da natureza mesmo para secarem entre as paginas. Algumas se transformam em matéria prima para meus artesanatos. Outras, ficam ali, pousando na poesia escolhida como se fizessem parte da mesma.

Até nos dias frios eu me atrevo ficar um pouco ali, repetindo a velha mania de dividir com meu pé de ipê um afeto com uma xícara de chocolate quente – que você bebe mais do que – e um livro. Ainda não encontrei no meu lugar uma livraria que coubesse minha alma ou algum sebo. O único que me cabia desapareceu pós pandemia. Foi depois dela que minhas manias passaram a ser vivenciadas aqui.

E como você mesma disse que estamos muito para além dos planetas e tempo eu misturo a literatura que me abraça com toda arte que possuo nesse quadrilátero dos meus muros. Uma xícara de café, um livro seu, uma aula programada para as meninas que cuido, uma omelete ganha ares de biblioteca aqui. As livrarias daqui, bambina, tem as mesmices de sempre, com os livros convencionais, feitas apenas para que o leitor entre, compre seu livro e vai embora. Ainda assim, minhas manias sempre atravessam esses muros e vão para além das ruas – ♡ – e pousam nas palavras do poeta lá de longe, mesmo que não tenha mania nenhuma:

(…)

é como se no céu se abrisse um enorme chão, sem tapete de passagem para outro mundo. às vezes penso que ouvi uma voz sussurrar: foi o afecto quem inventou a palavra quintal.
tudo, tantas vezes, dentro da palavra quintal.

Grazie mille!
bacio,
Mariana Gouveia
Projeto Fotográfico 6 on 6
Scenarium Livros Artesanais
Participam comigo:
Lunna Guedes – Silvana Lopes – Obdúlio Nunes Ortega – Claudia Leonardi – Roseli Pedroso

Source: 6 on 6 – manias literárias – O Outro Lado

Missouri sees first positive bird flu case without known animal contact | US news | The Guardian

A person in Missouri with no known animal contact has tested positive for H5 bird flu, the state’s department of health and senior services said Friday.

It’s the first time a patient in the US outbreak has had no known exposure to sick animals. And it is the first time someone has been hospitalized with bird flu – though it’s not clear yet if influenza was the reason for hospitalization or it was incidental.

Source: Missouri sees first positive bird flu case without known animal contact | US news | The Guardian