The Bail Amendment Bill passed by House of Representatives in the early hours of Saturday morning is the latest addition to the Government's package of crimefighting legislation.One of its effects may be to keep more suspects behind bars as they await trial for serious criminal offences.This newly amended bill greatly increases the offences for which a person charged will not receive bail.While any measure that keeps criminals behind bars is welcome, this law will also have the effect of bringing more people into an already overcrowded prison system, so greater priority will have to be given to resolving this chronic problem.The problems in the prisons have existed for decades and are now much worse than they were back in 1980 when former Anglican Bishop Clive Abdulah submitted his report on the prison system.
Inspector of prisons Daniel Khan, in an interview with the Sunday Guardian last year, recalled this report and expressed the hope that something would be done about the problems in the prisons after so long.The situation has become even more urgent now, with the passing of this bill. The problem of limited prison space will get worse if the authorities go ahead with plans to shut down the Carrera Island Prison and transfer those inmates to Golden Grove Prison, which is already bursting at the seams.It is difficult to see how the relocation of those convicts can be done without increasing pressure throughout the prison system.At present the Port-of-Spain Remand Yard, which has a capacity of 1,100, is housing 300 more inmates than it was built to accommodate.There and at other prison facilities, there are instances where as many as 11 prisoners are crammed into a single cell in the most inhumane and insanitary conditions imaginable.
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