PRISONERS ON REMAND!

Jun 28, 2016 Editorial

There is absolutely no doubt in the minds of many that President Granger was correct to pardon a number of prisoners last year, both men and women. Today, in the public interest and for the concern of overcrowding at the prisons as well as the lengthy delays in getting a trial, the President should pardon those prisoners who have been on remand without trial for longer than their maximum sentence would be if they were found guilty. It is the right thing to do. No one should be denied the right to a speedy trial.
This is a chance for everyone irrespective of race, creed or party affiliation to stand up and be counted among those in the country who believe in and support the concept of equal and fair justice for all.
At the moment, many do not have a real sense of equal justice. This is not a plan to let those who ran afoul of the law to go free or to make victims of crimes feel as though they have been victimized twice, first by the criminals and second by the state. It is not a dreamed up idea by the misinformed or uniformed, soft and kind-hearted people who are only fighting for the rights of criminals.
On the contrary, it is a well thought out plan by those who believe in justice to help those who are being denied justice. The saying that justice delayed is justice denied holds true for those who are on remand for years.
It is not only unjust, but also unconscionable. No one should condone such treatment on their fellow citizens. They should not want it for those who continue to suffer the brunt of the country’s archaic justice system. Being on remand means that inmates would spend more time locked in their cells than those convicted. They do not have access to the same programs and privileges as those convicted. Both the prison and the justice system need urgent reform.
It has been reported that almost half the prisoners at the Camp Street prison are on remand for a long time, because cases are not being heard in a timely fashion.
Many jurists believe that putting alleged criminals on remand in prison would keep society safe. They are wrong. They, like the wider public should consider that the possibility exists that a number of men and women who are languishing in prison on remand could be innocent. They are fully aware of the “innocent until proven guilty” concept and that people could be on remand much longer than what their sentences would be if found guilty.
How can a society that prides itself on democracy and equal justice commit such injustice against a section of its less fortunate population?
In Guyana, remand is a horrific place for suspected criminals because it treats them as though they are guilty, not innocent until proven guilty. Being on remand for several years is like a sentence even though it is not. It is not only waiting in remand for the initial trial but also how these long delays for trials affect appeals.
It is almost impossible to appeal most convictions other than capital offences because prisoners would be waiting in remand for their trials longer than the original sentence they got. This means the right to appeal is virtually nonexistent. It is a travesty of justice.
Being in prison, whether it is on remand or not, is a sentence no matter what anyone says and being in jail in general is a stigma. Prisons are horrible places for anyone to be in because it is where young men become embittered, helpless and hopeless. The Prison system robs those on remand of their rights.

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