Dear Editor,
I have heard the many discussions, both in the media and on the streets, about the death penalty and how necessary it has become for us to once again exercise this aspect of ensuring that justice is served.
I recently had a conversation with a few people when one of the participants made the fundamental point of how prisoners are fed three meals a day. The fact is, that's a standard better than many of our law-abiding citizens. In light of this, I have been once again inspired to make the call to the powers that be to put our prisoners to work.
I have been told of people who deliberately commit crimes so that they can be arrested, tried and incarcerated for the single reason that they are properly fed while they are in prison serving their sentence. While in prison they do not have to work; what more can one ask for in life other than to be able to eat and drink and be content, without bills.
Other than unreservedly extending my deepest recommendation that we start to enforce the law that governs capital punishment, let me also state that it is imperative that our prisoners be put to work and, at the very least, earn the revenue that is required to feed, shelter and constantly maintain and supervise them.
If prisoners are put to work this could see the Government reducing expenditure and earning more revenue in the process. There are many acres of government-owned land that are idle at the moment, which could be used to cultivate many crops that are presently overpowering our import bill. Prisoners could also assist with projects that the councillors' or members of parliament's allocation cannot cover.
Since we cannot find a way to execute these criminals, some of whom have been on death row for some time, we must find a way to ensure that we earn some returns from that which is invested in them. Let us re-examine this aspect of the law and amend it, if necessary, to ensure that they start to cover the expense they incur.
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) could serve as supervisors while they work. Soldiers are paid whether they have an assignment or not, so it would be good to utilise their services in this way.
Gary Rowe
magnet0072004@yahoo.com
Our prisoners must earn their way
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I have heard the many discussions, both in the media and on the streets, about the death penalty and how necessary it has become for us to once again exercise this aspect of ensuring that justice is served.
I recently had a conversation with a few people when one of the participants made the fundamental point of how prisoners are fed three meals a day. The fact is, that's a standard better than many of our law-abiding citizens. In light of this, I have been once again inspired to make the call to the powers that be to put our prisoners to work.
I have been told of people who deliberately commit crimes so that they can be arrested, tried and incarcerated for the single reason that they are properly fed while they are in prison serving their sentence. While in prison they do not have to work; what more can one ask for in life other than to be able to eat and drink and be content, without bills.
Other than unreservedly extending my deepest recommendation that we start to enforce the law that governs capital punishment, let me also state that it is imperative that our prisoners be put to work and, at the very least, earn the revenue that is required to feed, shelter and constantly maintain and supervise them.
If prisoners are put to work this could see the Government reducing expenditure and earning more revenue in the process. There are many acres of government-owned land that are idle at the moment, which could be used to cultivate many crops that are presently overpowering our import bill. Prisoners could also assist with projects that the councillors' or members of parliament's allocation cannot cover.
Since we cannot find a way to execute these criminals, some of whom have been on death row for some time, we must find a way to ensure that we earn some returns from that which is invested in them. Let us re-examine this aspect of the law and amend it, if necessary, to ensure that they start to cover the expense they incur.
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) could serve as supervisors while they work. Soldiers are paid whether they have an assignment or not, so it would be good to utilise their services in this way.
Gary Rowe
magnet0072004@yahoo.com
Our prisoners must earn their way
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