Prison life improves under new management
When Belize’s only prison came under private control last year there were those who said it was a hopeless task. Today, although the jury may still be out, there is no shortage of hope. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods, who may have spent more professional time in Hattieville than some inmates, reports.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Since the Kolbe Foundation took over the management of the Hattieville Prison, the institution has been working to provide a secure, humane facility with meaningful rehabilitation.
Marlon Skeen, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation
“What we inherited from the government wasn’t the ideal thing. The place was incomplete in construction when it was utilized back in ’92 or ’93; it was never fully completed. And since then, now that we have taken it over, all the problems have certainly popped up tremendously and we’re trying to address it. Some areas are so bad that we cannot even touch it in ways of renovating. But those areas that we could, we have certainly started.”
One visible and major infrastructural change is taking place at the front of the compound. The new building will be the main entrance to the institution and will also include a much-improved visitors’ section.
Anthony Sankey, Director, Kolbe Foundation
“The structure basically outlines a new building, which would be the controlled area where all visitors will be channelled to when the come to visit at the prison. Here, the security checks will be done with respect to goods or bags being brought for inmates and other personal checks to ensure that no unauthorized items or weapons are being brought into the prisons for whatever purpose.”
Presently, the prison is home to over nine hundred inmates. Of that number, one hundred and seventy-seven, are on remand. Some of the inmates are part of voluntary programme that helps to keep them busy in positive activities.
Jacqueline Woods
“Presently six to seven acres of the land is used for farming. It is one of the institution’s biggest rehabilitation programmes.”
Anthony Sankey
“The project that we run here actually contributes significantly to the reduction of our costs for vegetables, as most of the crop presently being grown here is vegetables.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And what are those crops?”
Anthony Sankey
“It involves cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, cassava, lettuce, corn beans and a few others.”
The foundation receives from the Government of Belize just a little under four million dollars each year to manage the institution. Twenty-five percent of that money is spent on purchasing food for inmates.
Jacqueline Woods
“Javier you have been here for three years, have you seen any major difference sine the Kolbe Foundation took over the management of the institution?”
Javier Aldana, Inmate
“Yes, I’ve seen a lot of improvements. When the government was in state here, this wasn’t in progress. Since Kolbe Foundation has taken over the prison I’ve seen a much brighter future for the prison.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How are things better?”
Javier Aldana
“As you can see, we have a farm coming up. Even with the storeroom, you can go there and get something; the rations stop, better management, better handling.”
David Sanz, Inmate
“Once you work hard you’re well taken care of. So I can see the better in it, even in the way how we get wi toothpaste and everything, it come much different for we. From before, it used to be every two months.”
Frank Sebastian, Inmate
“Well, I believe that this institution needs books where you can read, so that people who cannot afford a lawyer, especially the remand section, people need books that they could read to get to know the law and the institutions of our country and of our rights. And I think this prison needs to improve more libraries, books to read, more medical attention.”
Gilroy Wade Junior, Inmate
“Lot of things. They do weh the government nevah mi the do. Like literacy, things fi mek you learn, things like trade. They feed you better, all kinds of different things.”
Mark “T Dog” Stuart, Inmate
“After eight years being in this institution, you come out deh, weh you got out deh fi do? I going right back out deh and nothing noh deh out deh fi do. So weh I the try tell them, give me an opportunity. It’s not like they di find a work spot fi me go out deh and do. I have to look with my peoples and friends. And after eight, nine years in jail, you noh really got no friend out deh. So after I done finish my sentence, I am a young man, weh I going out deh to do.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What’s the situation like with the number of inmates returning to the institution?”
Marlon Skeen, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation
“It’s not good at all. Right now we’re in the process of setting up a database to get specific statistics, but a good estimate is about seventy percent. The recidivism rate, that is the word that they use for the re-entries. And that is certainly one of the objectives that Kolbe wants to bring down. That will be the true mark of success when it comes to rehabilitation. If the person could go out into society and remain in society as a productive individual, that would mean that we have achieved a very large part of our goal.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Is this a reflection that is not working, or it’s just that they cannot find meaningful employment once they are put back into society?”
Marlon Skeen
“It is a combination of both because if the rehabilitation programme is functioning the way it should, then they should be rehabilitated in that they could return and be productive and constructive out in society. Society on a whole also has a large part to play in it, because they have to support these individuals when they go out. The family plays a major role in that and all the figures out there in society. In other words, if the inmate who goes back into society is scorned and cannot get a job, then most naturally they will come back.”
A number of other improvements will be taking place on the compound. These include the construction of a youth facility and medical clinic. The foundation, which has seen only four escapes, is also addressing that problem.
Marlon Skeen
“You do have the very few who is very difficult to do anything with. Maybe because they just got a huge sentence from the court and they are just so in a slump that they’d try anything. We certainly have counsellors who look at them, and apart from that, we have our officers. And we look at each person as an individual before we allow them out of their cells, out of the building, out into the programmes that we have.”
Mervin Reyes, serving time for bank robbery and escape, is one of the inmates who seems to have made a positive change and works at the prison’s only radio station encouraging fellow inmates to stay away from crime.
Mervin Reyes, Inmate
“We pretty much disseminate information to the rest of the population and we try to encourage them to suppress violence and we also try to make them have a positive mental attitude and outlook on themselves and prepare for reintegration back into society.”
The institution has received a number of donations from different organizations and concerned individuals. But if you would like to assist the Kolbe Foundation you can call them at 225-6218. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
