‘Jail term’ is not the 1st choice

20.MAY.11

Editor: In reference to the article “Court sentences man who had sex with corpse” published in your Midweek edition of May 17, I support,100%, that “jail term” is not the first choice.{{more}}

I recall Mr. C.E.A. Rawle sentencing a man not to leave his home after 6.00 p.m. and before 6.00 a.m. every day for a certain period and he HAD TO report to the Questelles Police Station at a specific time every day. The defendant pleaded with the Magistrate to send him to Prison instead. Mr Rawle’s reply was: “My taxes would not be feeding you in prison”.

I recall, also, Mr. Grafton Isaacs, as a Magistrate, upholding the same ideas on “non-prison” punishments.

I live in an area in which juveniles, especially, are sentenced to hours of community service, and you should see how embarrased they appear when vehicles pass by and they are picking up debris from the streets.

I may be “old fashioned” but, “there are many ways to choke a dog without putting a rope around its neck”.

There was once upon a time when, for rehabilitation purposes, prisoners in SVG operated a Farm at Ottley Hall and supplied the other Government Institutions (Hospital, Mental Health Centre and Lewis Punnett Home) with milk, ground provisions, meat, bread etc.

I shall suggest that we try some of that now that there is an abundance of lands owned by the Government.

Ormond V “Bully” Robertson