TCI: Letter to the Editor: HMP Inmate bemoans prison conditions, calls for Governor to review

#TurksandCaicos, March 8, 2018 – Providenciales – 

To:

His Excellency The Governor Dr. John Freeman

Waterloo

Grand Turk

Turks and Caicos Islands

From:

Inmate Elvathan Handfield

H.M Prison

Grand Turk

Turks and Caicos Islands

Date:19th February, 2018

Subject: Constitutional infringements as it relates to parole and other wise.

Sir Your Excellency,

After careful review of the parole ordinance I am left with a heavy heart and great concern that the process which was instituted to benefit inmates serving custodial sentences at H.M Prison, Grand Turk in being subverted by the nonchalant approach to the parole process by the very members appointed to the board and others responsible for providing necessary reports.

I am of the impression that the board should be meeting at least three(3) times a year. However, for the past five(5) years now the parole board has been having one(1) meeting per year and using the tardiness of social services as an excuse not to have the meeting when scheduled.

At present there are seventeen(17) inmates eligible for parole. My name along with George Munroe, Louis Francis and at least two(2) others should be at the top of the list but have been mysteriously left out. Friday February 16th the board scheduled to meet and consider six(6) applicants, leaving eleven(11) eligible inmates wondering when the next meeting will be held and hoping it will be before next year February. Meanwhile every month other inmates will become eligible and are left wondering when or if their applications will be heard. During the last year ten(10) or more eligible inmates completed their sentences without ever having their parole applications heard which is a violation of their constitutional Rights.

Among the inmate population there is a fear of victimization, which is why there are not more inmates speaking out about the advantage that is being taken of us. However, I feel that to not let my voice be heard would be a greater of injustice and counter productive to all I’ve been working towards for the past ten(10) years, and indeed all we as inmates work towards.  Personally and as a population of inmates, we feel that the parole board is functioning neither effectively nor efficiently and is in fact in jeopardy of being in violation of serious constitutional infringements.

Please sir, I do not want to be misunderstood, even though mine is the only name affixed to this letter; I am only the voice speaking out in conjunction with other inmates who find themselves in similar situations. After serving ten(10) years of a twenty(20) years sentence with three(3) years left to completion. I’ve gone from sleeping the first year away to teaching computer applicants/applications and serving meals simultaneously for four(4) years then moving to maintenance where I’ve been called to do everything, from running telephone and cable wires to draining the sewage system regularly. I was denied parole without explanation in 2016 along with Louis Francis and George Munroe and we all should have been called back for reconsideration last year but we were not recalled at the only meeting in January, 2017. So the systems that is suppose to motivate inmates to be industrious and better themselves while serving their sentences is nonfunctional despite continual prompting and admonitions from the Prison information desk(PID).

In addition my earning potential ended after my second year, so for the past 8 years I’ve been earning nothing in working with a hope for parole as is the case with all inmates serving any sentence more than 2 years being that our release allowance stops at 750 dollars and the greatest earning potential is set at $2 per day. Again after careful review we are of the opinion that there has been a serious misinterpretation of the present ordinance in reference to inmates release allowances and relationship to and inmates earning potential for certain works performed.

Morale within the inmate population is very low and our collective belief is that while the parole ordinance is clear on procedure and the criteria for eligibility, the board seems to be continually getting misconstrued and these should be misconstrued and there should be a review or inquiry into the parole process.

Prison has become a place of punishment only where inmates are being harassed instead of rehabilitated, and those with the desire to change are left to motivate themselves and find they’re own way out of the revolting doors; instead of being an effective institute for skills training and crime prevention. We know sir that the prison comes under on of the government ministries, however we are also well aware  that the governor has oversight of the Prison.

Myself along with several other inmates have long met the criteria for parole. We have been Industrious, of good behavior and have earned responsibilities integral to the daily smooth operation of the prison. Yet there is no recompense and no programs to motivate inmates towards reforming themselves.

It is a sad state of affairs  we find ourselves in here at H.M Prison Grand Turk as inmates, therefore we are left with no other recourse but to bring our plight  ultimately to you the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and appeal to the humanitarian we believe you to be while simultaneously notifying the Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Hon. Delroy Williams Minister of Home Affairs, Ms. Sabrina Green Commissioner of Human Rights Commission and Mr. Leo Missick Chairman of visiting committee of our concerns.

We are left now with only the belief that supplications have made it to the right people and further communication can take place in the future.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Most respectfully yours indeed..

Elvanthan Handfield

Inmate