Bahamas News

Bahamas Minister of National Security Pursues Evidence-Based Strategies for Correction from UB/IDB Symposium on Prisoners

Published

7 years ago

October 7, 2017

#Bahamas, October 7, 2017 – Nassau – Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames told participants at ‘Our Prisoners: A Symposium’ on October 4, 2017, that he believed that the information disseminated at the event would “go a long way in providing good and holistic analysis about offenders, their criminogenic (‘causing or likely to cause criminal behavior’) needs” and the underlying challenges within The Bahamas’ correctional system.

“As I have indicated in my communication on crime (in the House of Assembly) a few weeks ago, my Ministry has reached out to researchers at the University of The Bahamas to explore ways in which your institution can assist in finding more evidence-based strategies to combat crime,” Minister Dames said at the event held at the University of The Bahamas (UB) Performing Arts Centre and facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in conjunction with UB.

“Furthermore, I am moved by the willingness of your institution to assist with evaluating anti-crime programs to determine what impact they are having on crime and public safety indicators,” he added.

Minister Dames said that the emphasis of the discussion that day focused on the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and the need to facilitate alternatives to imprisonment and conditional release for non-violent offenders. He noted that, over the past four years, the correctional services had been transitioning from a “punitive base to corrections.”

“During this process, the enactment of new legislation to govern the service and changing the name of the institution was achieved,” Minister Dames pointed out. “However, the process fell short of establishing a clear correctional strategy, that will benefit staff and offenders.”

Minister Dames stated that, at that time, The Bahamas ranked third in the region in incarceration rates – 439 per 100,000 in 2016.

“This rate reflects the challenges of crime, punishment and recidivism that exist within the Criminal Justice System in The Bahamas,” he said.

In 2016, he added, Inmate Admissions at the correctional facility were 2,528, with male offenders continuing to remain the larger gender group admitted into the institution, exceeding female offenders by 93% in total inmate admissions.

“Particularly, young males between the ages of 18–25 [who] represent the largest age group at 41%,” Minister Dames said. “These trends suggest that we must engage dialogue relative to Corrections, alternatives to incarceration and their role in the Criminal Justice System of The Bahamas.

“We must define exactly what should be accomplished while offenders are incarcerated. At this point we need to understand what works and whether punishment, rehabilitation and reintegration are impactful within our system.” Minister Dames said that, within that context, the correctional institution faces a myriad of challenges and the need for clear evidence-based practices must now be considered.

“Evidence-based practices, as a part of the criminal justice system in The Bahamas, can mean revolutionizing the Correctional Services and developing much-needed community supervision programs for offenders,” he pointed out. “Moreover, these objectives can only be ascertained through making organizational decisions and directing policy-making initiatives based on measurement, research and evaluation.”

Minister Dames said that a very important step of our government’s crime focus is the rehabilitation and re-integration of offenders.

“Noting that current incarceration and recidivism rates are at unacceptable levels, we understand that recently-released inmates – who are typically males in the prime of their lives – seem to have very few viable options to be successfully rehabilitated and re-integrated into society,” he said. “As a result, Government will be enacting legislation shortly to address the conditional release of offenders into society through a Parole and Probation System for first time non-violent offenders.

“The new process of parole will address rehabilitation, reintegration, re-offending/recidivism and reduce the costs associated with incarceration.”

Minister Dames said the goals of the initiative will also include the following: assisting ex-offenders in functioning in the community without becoming involved in further criminal activity; providing supervision or monitoring; and providing support to inmates enabling them to be reintegrated in the community through a productive and crime free lifestyle.

Minister Dames commended the “committed support” of the IDB, which had demonstrated its assistance by providing funding and other pertinent resources to the project, and looked forward to initiating further collaborative efforts.

“I also commend the faculty and support staff of University of The Bahamas that have committed long, sacrificial hours in the work that will be presented today,” Minister Dames said. We anticipate information revealed in this study will be useful in modernizing and strengthening correctional outcomes for the 21st century.”

Minister Dames gave the full assurances of the government that his Ministry is a willing and committed partner and they were confident that underpinning the discussions at that dissemination exercise was the resolve to formulate data that will “chart the course of response to findings about offenders incarcerated in The Bahamas.”

Press Release: BIS

Photo caption: Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames speaks, on October 4, 2017, at ‘Our Prisoners: A Symposium’, an event held in the University of The Bahamas (UB) Performing Arts Centre and facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in conjunction with UB.

(BIS Photo/Eric Rose)

Bahamas News

Royal Caribbean Club in The Bahamas started after delays

Published

2 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas#RoyalCaribbean, April 23, 2024- After being delayed following its announcement in 2020, Royal Caribbean’s new 17 acre Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, is now in the works and is scheduled to be ready for 2025, according to reports. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday April 22, signifying the start of construction in the next few months. This project is huge for The Bahamas as it’s a first of kind for the nation, with a unique public private partnership allowing Bahamians to hold up to 49 percent in equity.

Bahamas News

Nassau Cruise Port Donates Nearly $2 Million Towards Food Security

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Shanieka

Nassau, Bahamas: The Nassau Cruise Port has donated $1.95 million towards
projects that will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in its aim
to increase food security for The Bahamas.

The donation officially occurred at the Ministry’s offices recently, where Minister
of Agriculture and Marine Resources Hon. Jomo Campbell, Minister of Labour
Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, Permanent Secretary Neil Campbell and Nassau Cruise
Port CEO Mike Maura listened to a number of presentations including one for a
poultry programme for schools, a chicken broiler production programme, the
redevelopment of the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market and an Authentic
Bahamian Cultural Concept Store,

Mr. Maura said he was impressed by the presentations.

“I had the privilege to listen the presentations and review presentations that
touched on food security and the need for us to be self-sufficient, which as a
Bahamian I support completely. At the Nassau Cruise Port, we get excited
about the prospects of offering more authentic food to the millions of visitors
that we have each year,” he said.

“And then, in addition to that, we had presentations around the further
development of our artisans, which is so important to us as well. The guests
visiting our shores are looking for something that really touches The Bahamas
and can’t be found somewhere else. The Nassau Cruise Port has made a pledge to BAIC and its affiliates. We will be supporting the projects that were presented and we can’t wait to get started.”

Minister Glover-Rolle, who is also the Member of Parliament for Golden Gates,
hailed Nassau Cruise Port as a “great community partner.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to not only present but agreeing to participate.
Our Minister of Agriculture has a goal of reducing food imports by 25 percent by
the year 2025 and our project in the Golden Gates Community speaks to that,”
she said.

“We have a number of backyard farmers, farmers and fishers in our community
in Golden Gates. Being able to use the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market, which is
going to be dubbed the ‘Fish Fry of the South,’ as a hub for food security but
also a hub where artisans and handicraft persons can come and sell their wares
is wonderful. So, we are happy that you have agreed to partner with us and we
look forward to a partnership and we hope to welcome some of your visitors
when this amazing renovation is done.”

Minister Campbell also lauded the Nassau Cruise Port for its efforts.

“I would like to say thank you to the presenters for the presentations that are
several steps in the right direction for our country, to Mr. Maura and his board at
the Nassau Cruise Port and I would like to say thanks to God for this partnership
and bringing us all together as we move forward, upward, together in building a
better, brighter, future for The Bahamas,” he said.

Bahamas News

Career Symposium 2024 Connects University Students with Successful Professionals

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — Some of the most successful and accomplished professionals and business leaders in the country recently shared their experiences and nuggets of wisdom with students at University of The Bahamas (UB) about thriving in a wide range of careers.

The University Centre for Counselling and Career Services and the Career and Job Placement Advisory Unit collaborated to host the 2024 Career Symposium which brought students face to face with leaders in the careers to which they aspire.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, said the symposium was key to developing potential as university students strive to leave their mark on the world.

Ms. Rickell Curry

“In the spirit of collaboration and growth, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate relationships, and harness the power of collective wisdom to shape our futures,” said Dr. Oriakhi. “Together, let us embark on this journey of exploration and discovery, united in our commitment to realizing our fullest potential and making meaningful contributions to our communities and beyond.”

Promoting careers in psychology, Ms. Curry noted that psychologists are equipped with the ability to help others, troubleshoot areas of weakness within themselves, and become better people and professionals in the process.

“The floor is yours to be able to explore. There’s no job where you don’t have to deal with people, so learning, even if you get a bachelor’s in psychology, is a great grounding,” she said.

Dr. Darville, one of few interventional radiologists in The Bahamas, offered another nugget of advice on choosing an area of study.

Dr. Elizabeth Darville

“It is important to know enough about yourself in order to make the decisions you want to make,” said Dr. Darville. “You have to work on yourself first and know what you want to do. Radiology gives you a chance to have fun. It gives you a chance to mold your career closer to your personal life than other medical specialties might.”

Another growing field is project management which Mr. Hepburn called a life skill. He also urged a commitment to lifelong learning.

“Individuals that continue to learn become unstoppable, period,” said Mr. Hepburn. “It is so true. When you learn, you become unstoppable because nothing can stop you in your process of development.

Mr. Wellington Hepburn

“The more you know, the more valuable you are. We need individuals who are cross functional—that can operate in different capacities. So please understand that your learning should never stop.”

With small and medium-sized businesses helping to drive the economy at an incredible rate, Ms. Rolle affirmed the importance of entrepreneurship in any economy.

“When we talk about entrepreneurship, we usually look at it from a myopic standpoint,” she said. Ms. Rolle. “What do I mean by that? Small, but usually about self: ‘how do I make more money?’ And in some cases, some look at entrepreneurship as a way of survival. ‘I need to make a couple extra dollars, I have this bill to pay’. Those types of things.

Ms. Samantha Rolle

“But entrepreneurship really, in its truest form, is about innovation, whether it’s a new concept or any existing concept that you innovate new ways, or help expand the economy.”

The career symposium was held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre and is held every academic year.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Career Symposium 1: UB Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, delivers the opening address at the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 2: Students and guest speakers enjoy a lighthearted moment during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 3: Ms. Rickell Curry speaks to students during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 4: Dr. Elizabeth Darville delivers remarks during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 5: Mr. Wellington Hepburn educates students on the importance of project management during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 6: Ms. Samantha Rolle talks about the role and importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in any economy.