In an effort to further public dialogue on penal reform across the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has invited international experts and local thought leaders to offer their views on major issues that need to be addressed in order to improve correctional outcomes. In January 2021, the Bank will also host virtual conferences in a number of countries across the region, including Guyana, to discuss innovative solutions for achieving the goal of prisoner rehabilitation that could be pursued collaboratively among key stakeholders. We invite you to contribute to the discourse.
Given our reliance on punitive measures, many have come to believe that decreasing crime lies in more prisons and stronger penalties. Crime deterrence however, lies in promoting healthy family units, economic development and rehabilitative programmes in underprivileged communities.
It is a common fact that children replicate the behaviours that surround them. Those who have grown up in comfortably safe homes catering to their development would more often than not, grow up to contribute positively to society. Those who have grown up in homes and communities filled with violence and economic instability however, are far more likely to go down a path of deviancy.
The Government of Guyana & the Inter-American Development Bank’s “Study of Inmates in Guyana” supported this view. I along with many have long harped on the impacts of abuse, so I was pleased at the opportunity to examine the study’s narrative data and comment on elements of it.
With colonial histories steeped in violence, the abuse of women and children is largely an accepted part of Caribbean culture. This normalization downplays the physical, mental and psychological harm abuse causes on the development of the young and vulnerable. The study found that majority of “inmates were exposed to physical abuse and different criminogenic contexts when they were children.” Many ended up turning to substances to cope.
Fifty-eight percent of inmates reported that they have used marijuana, with the second most alleged crime for inmate detainment being drug possession or drug dealing. Drug use and sale carry many negative connotations that see the prioritization of punishment over rehabilitation. Less focus on imprisonment would however, provide room for focus on effective rehabilitative programmes and mechanisms to support trauma victims or those experiencing significant hardship. Trauma focused care would also promote non-violence as the need for power and control over others will be diminished.
Unaddressed violence and its associated traumas can impact the entirety of one’s life, as it is both an associated cause and consequence of intergenerational poverty. A 2003 World Bank Country Study on Caribbean Youth Development posited that households with lower levels of income have higher rates of familial violence than those with higher income levels (53). Poverty exacerbates violence as it makes it difficult for women to leave abusive situations. It also aids in the perpetuation of violence as abusers seek out ways to obtain power over others due to an absence of economic stability.
Limited income also contributes towards lack of access to educational and development opportunities. Overall, the (IDB) findings show that 80% of prisoners did not complete secondary education or never attended secondary school. In our meritocracy-based society, lack of educational development helps to perpetuate intergenerational poverty as underprivileged communities often have poor educational facilities and/or parents or guardians cannot afford the basic necessities for their children’s education.
This situation is further compounded by the fact that single parent matriarchs lead many of these households. The absence of a structured family unit can contribute towards intergenerational poverty, as single parent households often have to make substantial sacrifices in raising their children due to economic responsibilities. It was found that during their childhood 54.0% of inmates’ mothers held low paid, risky or unstable jobs while the majority of the others worked in the informal sector such as vending, farming and fishing. Given the long hours associated with these jobs, it is suggested that low levels of social control at home contributed towards childhood deviant behaviours and attitudes, ultimately leading to criminal actions in adulthood.
With the need for stable incomes, many young persons are forced into child labour, continuing the cycle of attaining low paid, risky or unstable jobs. Almost 50% of inmates reported that they were fifteen years old or less the first time they did work for pay. In the study, findings suggested that “low wages and precarious working conditions” were the predominant background of many inmates when they committed the crime for which they were arrested. Their economic circumstances matched by the unavailability of relevant resources saw severe limitation in the opportunities afforded to them.
As with most unaddressed negative experiences in childhood, certain patterns such as unstructured and impoverished homes are constantly replicated. Social attitudes, behaviours and systemic barriers all work together against the collective advancement of underprivileged homes and communities.
This op-ed was produced upon the request of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The views and opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and were not influenced by the IDB, nor do they represent those people, institutions or organisations that the author may or may not be associated with professionally or personally unless explicitly stated.