‘Get them ready’

A High Court judge believes people on remand at Dodds for long periods should be made to participate in reintegration programmes, including counselling.

In fact, Madam Justice Pamela Beckles is hopeful that prison officials will consider the suggestion favourably. The judge who presides over the No. 5 Supreme Court put forward the idea as she dealt with the case of 32-year-old Jamal Ahmal Skeete, of no fixed place of abode, who had spent over 1 100 days on remand.

“1 106 days and counting is quite a lot. I wish you all will get that changed at the prison with respect to persons on remand getting involved in counselling or [other] programmes. If all that time he [was] doing counselling or programmes, then I would be minded to say ‘yes, I think he is fully rehabilitated, he can go back into society’. I think that I will have to put him in some kind of programme for a little while to be reintegrated back,” Justice Beckles said.

She said it was “unfortunate” that Skeete was not learning a skill while in prison.

“To be there 1 106 days and because he was on remand he was not exposed to those programmes, I think you all need to do something about that at the prison. That really is not acceptable. Somehow – I don’t know how we can do it, maybe after you see that persons have been there . . . six months, nine months, a year – … try to get them into some programmes,” the judge urged.

Skeete had previously pleaded guilty before Justice Beckles to committing sacrilege three times almost five years ago.

He said he was the one who entered Mount Pisgah Spiritual Baptist Church, a divine place of worship, between February 1 and 2, 2018, with intent to commit theft.

Skeete, who is represented by attorney-at-law Sade Harris, also admitted to entering Way Truth Ministries between February 6 and 7, 2018 and stealing four cartoons of justice, a sugar canister, a malt and $744.14 cash, at a total value of $776.44. He entered the same place of worship again between February 8 and 9, 2018, and stole two packs of scrubbers, a box of garbage bags, two tins of powder, four bottles of window cleaner, three bottles of toilet cleaner, six cans of air fresheners, a gallon of disinfectant and a pack of cloth wipes worth $72.75.

Acting Senior State Counsel Romario Straker is expected to read the facts of those cases when the matter is called again on January 19.

The prosecution and defence will make submissions on sentencing on that date. The updated period that Skeete has spent on remand is also to be read to the court as well as any antecedents.

In the meantime, Skeete has asked for the court to take into consideration another sacrilege case which he said was committed to the High Court back in December.