Proper systems of supervision and management for young offenders needed – seale

Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Alliston Seale wants to see “wayward” young men in Barbados given a chance at a successful future as law-abiding citizens.

To this end the prosecutor said proper systems of supervision and management must be put in place to keep track of ex offenders who have been released after serving their time.

“I would want to see as a mister of justice, young men going in the right direction. I am concerned about young wayward men, that is why every time you open the paper you are seeing some young man gunning down another young man because they are reckless. There is no guidance, there is no supervision, and they are left to their own devices.

“So rather than continue with these men being incarcerated, some of them, not all, because some need to be incarcerated  . . . . When they are released they are released into a world without supervision and find themselves right back into the problems that got them there in the first place, I would really like to see proper systems of supervision and management,” the prosecutor disclosed.

Seale made the suggestion during submissions in the High Court before Justice Randall Worrell as the case of Nishawn Diandre Prescod of Hinds Gap, Halls Road, St Michael, continued in the No. 2 Supreme Court today.

The now 24-year-old had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of Brinsley Warde on October 9, 2015.

Warde was in a stone-throwing altercation with three men, including Prescod, near the exit of Queen’s Park and which spilled over onto Nursery Drive. The dispute turned physical with the men beating on Warde before one of the culprits fatally stabbed him.

Defence counsel attorney Sally Comissiong today submitted that her client was remorseful, contrite, had spent some five years on remand at Dodds and was prepared to abide by any conditions that may be attached to his release. She said Prescod had indicated that he wanted to go back to masonry and was also finished with the block culture and substance abuse.

But deputy DPP Seale questioned whether Prescod’s position was as a result of his desire to be free.

“The question that I am most concerned about is what are we going to do with Mr Prescod in the future and I say future, because I have heard expressions of what he intends to do and my concern is always how serious are we about these intentions. Is it simply because of incarceration that he wants to be free or do we want to actually enter society with a view of improving ourselves?”

Seale said while he was aware that the Probation Department was stretched, there was a need to see proper supervisor of persons who have been released.

“Rather than simple release, release with some period of probation and supervision to see how they adjust and interact with peers and with society as a whole. So that, we can see their behaviour without the strict supervision of a penal institution, one that can have them reporting, one that can have the Probation Office visiting them. . .” Seale explained.

He added: “These things need to be considered [because] I think that is why we sometimes find ourselves in the problems that we have in Barbados because yes, there is some concept of rehabilitation in prison but I call that forced rehabilitation.”

Government he said, had always sought to provide the best possible avenues for persons and had spent large sums on money on education and on making sure that children go on the right path.

“Right now they are examining a child justice bill which will increase the age of criminal liability, increase the age of who is a child so a 16-year-old would not find himself in prison anymore but unless young people are willing to meet us halfway all of these things will come to naught. The young people must be committed to do their part.”

Justice Worrell agreed and requested that Prescod submit to the court his plans for his life on his release.

“The court will give you the opportunity to come back and report on the plans for your life and then we will see how they fit in with what the court’s plans are for you as far as sentencing is concerned,” the judge said before adjourning the matter until Tuesday, June 17 at 9 a.m.