Too many mentally ill persons are behind bars – Prison chief

Acting Superintendent of prisons, Dwayne Bailey, said he is facing significant issues with mentally ill convicts and is of the opinion that the large number of persons who are incarcerated for sexual offences should be a concern for everyone.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday, April 11, on a range of prison-related issues, Bailey laid bare his concerns on these matters of mental health.

There are 95 males currently serving prison time for murder, and three females also behind bars for murder.

Bailey said some of these murder convicts are suffering from mental illnesses.

He said that there is no confined space for the inmates and as a result, they share cells with the other prisoners and would usually have access to some of the contraband items that are thrown into the prison compound, including alcohol and illegal drugs.

Bailey said that mental health problems are not only being faced by persons in the prisons; it is a problem that is being faced by persons throughout the entire country.

He said that while specialist doctors would check up and treat patients, there are times when the prisoners would get aggressive and this puts the lives of others at risk.

Bailey said he hopes that in the future the issue can be approached in a holistic way.

He also touched on the overall prison population of 396 inmates and said that the persons who are charged and sentenced to jail is a reflection of what is happening in the wider society.

Bailey expressed alarm at the number of persons being incarcerated for sexual offences and said this should also be of concern to the general public as it is something that is prevalent and needs to be addressed from a society standpoint.

He has made a call for churches, schools, families and everyone else to get engaged to address the reduce and eliminate crimes of unlawful sexual offences.

The Assistant prison boss however pointed out that there is the issue where persons to whom children look for guidance and should feel protected by are the very ones, in some cases, who are abusing them.

Based on the figures in the most recent prison report, as of April 3, 2023, some 21 prisoners are in jail for unlawful sexual intercourse, while 23 are serving time for rape.

Bailey said it is not for lack of effort why prisoners are becoming repeat offenders, but noted that the mindset of some criminals is one that is “bent on committing crime”, and as a result they continue to be caught up in criminal activities for different reasons.

Bailey thinks that the prison is doing a “good job” at trying to rehabilitate prisoners, but noted that “at the end of the day the decision is theirs as to what they will go out and do”.