The ladies dominated this year’s performances at the annual “Talent Behind the Prison Walls” Christmas Concert on Sunday.The large gathering that turned out at the High Court premises in Kingstown were entertained by a selected few, but many would agree that it was an afternoon well spent.{{more}}

Jessie Patterson kicked things off with her rendition of Bryan Adams’ “I’ll Do It For You”, and was followed by the trio that dominated the afternoon’s proceedings.

The team featuring Shannet, Otricia and Shanika, rendered a number of songs, including Jah Cure’s “Straight From The Heart”.

Shanika and Jessie would once again take to the stage to perform another number from Jah Cure, “Call On Me”.

But Otricia displayed some talent, starting out doing a solo of Tarrus Riley’s “Stay With You”.

Inmate Noel Browne took one back for the men doing a rendition of Jah Cure’s “Behind these Prison Walls”.

The team of Otricia and Shannet would return to do the female version of the song as well.

But the crowd was only getting warmed up.

The duo of Michael “Prep Prep” Homer and Aldrick Providence had the audience moving as they did “Me Know Where You Come From”.

It was so well received by the large crowd which had now descended, that the emcee for the evening, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Johnathan Nichols, had to call them back for an encore.

To cap things off, for the inmates at least, was a group rendition by the ladies, who did a tribute to the chef, with their version of Blazer’s Soca Christmas “Tanty Eulyn”.

Patrons were also entertained by Carlton “CP” Hall and Rollie Bowman and heard performances from Starlift, among some of the other steel pan sides from across the country.

This was because, the first time, the show was held in collaboration with the Pan Against Crime Committee, the National Commission For Crime Prevention (NCCP) and the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), Superintendent of Prisons Lynhurst Goodluck said.

This, he said, was to ensure that the concert did take place this year.

“We recognize that this is a yearly thing on the Christmas calendar. Therefore, it would have been remiss of us to not have a concert this afternoon,” Goodluck explained.

He expressed his gratitude to the public for assisting them in their rehabilitation programmes.

However, the superintendent of prisons said that he had been seeing a trend that prompted him to say that while the men and women were being incarcerated and while it is a form of punishment, they are not there solely for the purpose of being punished, but to also be rehabilitated.

“Therefore my staff and I have the responsibility to rehabilitate these men and women, so when they leave they will be better equipped to deal with society,” Goodluck said.

The public must play their part by accepting back into the society such persons who may have done wrong.

He said that in the 32 years that he has been employed at the prisons he has seen many who could have been innocent. However, they were probably at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Embrace them — that is the way our rehabilitation programme would help inmates,” he said. (DD)