Prison count at 395

At the close of the Criminal Assizes earlier this week, the count at Her Majesty’s Prisons stood at 395.{{more}}

The figures presented by Chief Prison Officer Brian Charles indicated that there are 294 male prisoners, while 88 remain on remand. There are eight female prisoners, with five women being on remand.

129 males were sentenced by the High Court, while the Magistrates’ Courts sentenced 165 of them. Twenty-two males and three females are currently awaiting murder trials. Nine males are awaiting Preliminary Investigations on murder charges and 52 males are awaiting sentencing.

Eighteen non-nationals are serving sentences, while eight of them are on remand. These non-nationals are from countries which include Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad, Bermuda and Jamaica.

Shorn Samuel is the lone inmate on Death Row.

Charles said the numbers speak volumes about the work of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. He said the figure has been kept at the 380-390 mark for quite a while, compared to recent years when the prison count exceeded 470.

Charles noted that the prison is under good control and said that they are continually working to maintain and ensure the safety of the institution’s staff and inmates.

Responding to Charles’ comments, presiding judge Frederick Bruce-Lyle said that compared to other countries, St Vincent and the Grenadines is better off and it is something that we ought to be proud of. “Let us praise what we have and stop trying to pull it down,” he stated.(KW)