Director of the Criminal Justice Research Unit, Cheryl Willoughby.
Research conducted by the Criminal Justice Research Unit amongst inmates of Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds indicates that a significant number of persons incarcerated for firearm related offences, can be classified as underachievers or have dropped out of the local educational system.
Director of the Criminal Justice Research Unit, Cheryl Willoughby, revealed the above as she delivered an analysis of the crime situation in Barbados during the National Consultation on Crime and Violence held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday.
Willoughby noted that 200 prisoners (199 males and 1 female) incarcerated for gun-related offences were interviewed and of these, 172 were on remand and 28 were convicted. The inmates interviewed ranged from 21 years to 30 years.
“The result of interfacing with these persons incarcerated for gun-related offences revealed that expulsion from school was the leading cause of non-completion of secondary school by these inmates.
It accounted for 27.5% of those persons who dropped out, followed by inmates who left school of their own volition. The mean age of the inmates discontinuing school was 15,” the director said.
She also revealed that 44% of those inmates interviewed had interfaced previously with the juvenile justice system.
“That means that there is a problem or issue with recidivism among young people who are already in the system, meaning that they are recommitting offences although they are involved in the system,” Willoughby said.
She added that 41% of inmates had a criminal history of firearm-related offences, with 13% of these offences resulting in convictions.
“When we asked them what was the motivation for the firearm use and or possession, these persons indicated that it was for protection,” the criminologist pointed out.
Willoughby also noted that a study on gangs was conducted, which revealed over 50 blocks spanning both urban and rural areas of the country, with six dominant gangs identified by the Special Branch Unit of the Royal Barbados Police Force, and teens as young as 15 are frequenting these blocks.
The range of crimes committed by these groups include robbery, theft, drug possession, distribution, fire arm possession, serious bodily harm, wounding, murder and other violent crimes.
At war
The research also revealed that there are “warring factions” amongst young people from the various communities across Barbados and a new phenomenon known as “The Circle” has surfaced, which sees easily accessed firearms being passed between members in the circle and youth also renting guns. Some are willing
to pay as much as Bds $10 000 for a gun. Willoughby added that there is a growing drug culture which the research shows is strategically linked to the firearm situation as well.
Amongst the socio-economic drivers of this type of criminal activity, she said, are unemployment and underemployment, poverty, poor academic performance, young people being expelled from school, and a number of young people are also suffering from mental health issues that need to be addressed.
She is meanwhile recommending the country adopt and adapt a Cure Violence Project currently being piloted in Trinidad, amongst other measures, to curb the current situation. (RSM)
