City Youth Glimpse Life at Central Prison
Thirty youths from the some of the most gang ridden communities in Belize City spent the day in prison. Like an episode out of the T.V. series Scared Straight, the kids were introduced to life on the inside. But, the encounters they had were more inspiring than frightening, as inmates candidly shared their personal stories of living behind bars, and the life choices that got them there. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez
Paul Lopez, Stand Up
Today was the first day in prison for thirty Belize City youths. They all learnt a life lesson on what life is like on the inside.
When a group of inmates arrive at the Belize Central Prison, they are corralled inside this cage like room. This is the first taste of prison these at risk youths received.
Prison Officer #1
“These gates are opened one by one. Upon being opened, they are subjected to a search. Each person that comes through this search area must be properly searched.”
Inside the search room, inmates are required to remove all their clothing.
Quick Response Officer
“You will be required to remove each and every article you have on your person. You will have to get down to your birth suit.”
They learnt that certain colors, like the color red, are not allowed on the inside. They were also informed that the community an inmate comes from and the gangs they affiliate with also play a role in the screening process.
Quick Response Officer
“What the police doesn’t find the find, the prison officers will find, trust me.”
Fifteen year old Lirisi Roches was a part of today’s tour. He lives in the St Martin’s community and aspires to be music artist.
Lirisi Roches, Belize City Youth
“I learn lot of new things. I learn something different, different mentality. My mind dah fih change we community mek we community shine, and even give me thing fih sing bout.”
But, with the gang culture prevalent in Roches’ community, he says it is easy to become corrupted and end up in prison, or worst dead.
Lirisi Roches, Belize City Youth
“The main thing dah with you friend deh and dende. Yo friend corrupt yo and tell you bway, lets guh suh. Next minute, yo deh dah this same spot or deh dah buying ground.”
Today’s visitors learnt that life inside prison is not for the faint of heart. While the lives of many inmates have been transformed inside the walls of the Kolbe Foundation, they have all been stripped of certain rights. Several inmates addressed today’s visitors.
Jaden
Jaden, Inmate
“Ih mih tough when I mih younger and thing growing up eena the community weh I mih deh. Never right fih me because my pah mih deh dah jail and only my mah mih the struggle fih the mine me and thing. But, I still mih end up the guh dah school and thing til I get expel and thing from ACC. Now, I still the finish my education and thing. I the enna third form in a the Kiona online. Dah the best thing fih unu.”
Lane Grinage
Lane Grinage, Inmate
“First I use to be bad too. I used to give a lot of trouble. I used to heng with friends weh we always the manipulate and do badness. I used to always involve eena something bad. Time come fih mek I come dah jail, now I the stand up yah dah jail. All my friends deh dah road. Deh deh out dah society with deh family, pikni. I deh dah jail. My mah can’t come visit me because ah some ah the things deh weh have to guh through when deh have to search yo.”
Ryan Barnett
Ryan Barnett, Inmate
“Like me right now I the yah because a friends, the follow friends. Suddenly, you call some ah deh nuh want help out me, help this, have to look pan my brother and sista cause I nuh got ah ma and pa. Right now my breda and sista help mih out een yah, til dah day come fih I guh home and look out fih deh when I reach out deh.”
Inmate #4
“You could always deh round bad friends, deh round a neighbourhood weh deh class a bad neighborhood, but make your own decisions, think fih yourself. Right, when yo think fih yo self and yo mek a mistake you could always she bway me mek dah mistake. But, when you got somebody the think fih you and you mek dah mistake, you wah she bway I should ah never follow this one deh.”
The Police Department handpicked these youths from some of the most notorious communities in South Side Belize City to have this experience. Howell Gillett, Regional Commander of Eastern Division says it is important that these young people can visualize the life behind bars.
A.C.P. Howell Gillett
A.C.P. Howell Gillett, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“They have seen a lot, haven spoken to some of them, they have seen a lot in the streets. But, they haven’t seen what occurs after you are arrested and charged. So, we need to bring them here. They have seen their share of violence, so I thought it necessary to show them the end product of that violence in the streets.”
Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.
