BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (May 8, 2017) -- Superintendent of Prisons, Mr Junie Hodge, has made an impassioned appeal to the general public to give former residents a second chance in life. That would be taking a cue from the government’s Second Chance Programme which is aimed at rehabilitating former residents.
“We are asking the general public to embrace the Second Chance Programme that we have at Her Majesty Prison,” pleaded Mr Hodge on Sunday April 30 at an awards service held at the Immanuel Methodist Church in Sandy Point for prison officers and visiting Justices of Peace of Her Majesty Prison.
“The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has already started it by employing persons who are former residents of Her Majesty Prison. The Government is the first institution who would have done that.”
Present at the awards service that was officiated by Rev Damien Hughes were Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Deputy Prime Minister and area Parliamentary Representative the Hon Shawn Richards, Cabinet Secretary Mrs Josephine Huggins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Mr Osmond Petty, and Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Mr Osbert DeSuza.
“The Prime Minister is really on board with the entire operation and he also endorsed the Second Chance and Rehabilitation Programme that we have been running at this facility. The finance that he has put into the institution could tell for itself that he really embraces it. I am asking the public again to come on board,” said Mr Hodge in an interview carried out on Thursday May 4 at his office.
He explained that the reason they were asking the public to come on board was based on the fact that an individual who would have made a mistake at age 19 years or 20, or even 25 their level of thinking at age 30 and 40 would be completely different.
“They will be seeing life from a different perspective, especially when they would have gone through rehabilitation programme and would have served their time and are ready to be integrated into the society,” said Mr Hodge. “We are asking the general public to judge them based on their now, not their past.”
According to the Superintendent of Prisons, the residents at the facility are brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins; stating that they belong to all. He added they were part of the society, people who would have made a mistake either by accident or deliberate act but who would have been given the chance through rehabilitation programme that Her Majesty Prisons is doing at the moment. After the rehabilitation, the former residents should be seen like family from a different perspective.
“I must commend the officers here at HMP who would have been working with limited resources to get this job done, lack of space, lack of human resource, and are doing very well under the circumstances,” commented Mr Hodge. “The job is risky at the same time.”
He said that while police bring offenders to justice, their risk ends there. However the prison officers have to secure, ensure that discipline and rehabilitation is maintained in the facility. He positively added that the majority of the residents were taking to the rehabilitation programme for which he said he was thankful for.
“After they would have left the facility, part of the integration programme they would have gone to PS Osmond Petty and he would call around to the various business places and if there is a vacancy, the employers would hire these individual,” noted Mr Hodge.
“And yes, I am following up their success stories and I haven’t seen yet any dissention from what we are doing. The individuals who are given this second chance they are trying not only to impress their employer but at the same time not to let down the system that gave them that second chance.”
He explained that in June of last year he attended a Heads of Correction and Prison Service conference held in Barbados and when he reported that St. Kitts and Nevis embraces giving second chance and the government had led the way by employing former residents to give them a second chance and the public sector has now come on board, the country’s Attorney General commented that his country should do likewise.
Some 53 awards of different categories were distributed at the Awards Service on Sunday April 30, and among the awardees were four former Superintendent of Prisons, Mr Valentine Morris (was not present), Mr Norman Gill, Mr Franklyn Dorsette, and Mr Nigel Williams, and also the current Superintendent of Prisons Mr Junie Hodge.
“The Awards Service that we had for the officers was really to show them publicly our appreciation for their hard work and loyalty to the job and dedication and their willingness to go the extra mile when they are called upon,” explained Mr Hodge.
“It was the first of its kind for the institution and I was pleased with the way it was done. The officers are the ones who planned the whole thing and conducted it. Words cannot explain my appreciation to them, and also the general public who assisted by donating gifts for the programme and we are asking for the public to continue next year and the year after as we continue to show appreciation to hardworking officers of Her Majesty Prison.”
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