Prison rehabilitation, reintegration programmes need to be dramatically strengthened – IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said that about 41 per cent of the inmates in prisons across the Caribbean are recidivists and because of a lack of effective reintegration and rehabilitation programmes, about a quarter of those released prisoners, particularly in Guyana, end up back in the system within 6 months.
That information was relayed in the latest study – Regional Comparative Report: Survey of Individuals Deprived of Liberty: Caribbean 2016–2019 – conducted by the IDB. The survey was conducted in six Caribbean territories namely: The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago from 2016-2019.
“In aggregate terms, 41 per cent of inmates surveyed in the six Caribbean countries were recidivists compared to 33 per cent in aggregate in the prison populations of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru. Roughly 40 per cent of prisoners that recidivated were imprisoned within a year of their release. In Guyana, Barbados, Suriname, and The Bahamas, roughly a quarter lost their freedom again in less than 6 months. These stark findings are cause for concern, making clear that the prison system fails to rehabilitate many offenders or ensure their successful reentry into society,” the report stated.
It added that the numbers were unsurprising given the state of rehabilitation programmes in the surveyed prison systems. It added that international research has found that employment programmes, including work in prison, educational and vocational training programmes that aim to equip inmates with useful credentials, and programmes that prepare inmates for job searches outside of prison, are associated with lower recidivism rates.
The survey found that in Caribbean prisons there is gross unavailability and inadequacy of programmes to prevent recidivism. Incarcerated individuals in the six survey countries had limited access to work-related programmes in prison. The report indicated that it is particularly concerning as inmates in the Caribbean usually had unemployment levels higher than the general population in their countries, indicating that limited access to the labour market may be a factor leading to their initial incarceration and underscoring the importance of using the time in prison to increase their labour credentials and thus their employability upon release.
The study also showed that low educational attainment is related to higher levels of criminal recidivism.
It also found that services to support successful reentry are lacking, contributing to high rates of recidivism. The surveys indicated that less than 1 in 5 prisoners have access to the pre-release services, such as counselling or orientations for job seeking.
Post-release reentry support programmes dedicated to issues like job search, housing, drug use treatment, mental health, and reintegration into the education system are almost entirely absent in Caribbean countries, according to the IDB report.
“In all of the countries studied, inmates who used drugs and/or alcohol before committing their crime showed higher levels of recidivism than those who did not consume such substances. According to international literature, individuals who have substance abuse issues when incarcerated and have access to treatment programs during custody show lower levels of drug use after leaving prison. Yet, none of the Caribbean prisons surveyed offer substance abuse treatment programs.
“Indeed, high levels of drug use were observed within the Caribbean prisons and, importantly, the results showed that most drugs are brought in by prison staff. Since drug use is a risk factor for criminal recidivism, the importance of extending participation in substance use treatment programs during incarceration is a key finding that emerges from this study. Within the confines of this study, the implications are clear—effective drug treatment within prisons is essential, as is the prevention of drug sales and use,” the report related.
The IDB report recommended that Caribbean Governments actively expand the availability and strengthen the quality of rehabilitation and reentry programmed. It proposed that access to prison rehabilitation programmes focusing on education, vocational training, employment preparation, cognitive behavioural therapy, and substance use disorder treatment should be made available to all inmates.
Further recommendations include interagency collaborations to provide services to inmates; inclusion of social and health services, including substance abuse treatment programmes as part of prison rehabilitation programming to support individual change and transformation; development of pre- and post-release services that include incentives for employers to hire formerly incarcerated individuals; and implementation of public education and outreach programmes to change public attitudes and assumptions about prisoners and reduce prejudices and stigma; among others.

Neither effective nor efficient
The IDB said that Caribbean countries tend to use incarceration to a greater degree than countries in other regions, however, it does not essentially translate into safer communities.
“Six of the fifteen countries with the highest incarceration rates worldwide are Caribbean islands…Yet, incarceration has not made Caribbean communities safe. The Caribbean region suffers from a higher than world average homicide rate – 16 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants compared with 6 globally (UNODC, 2013) – indicating that imprisonment has a low deterrence effect on serious crime in the region. Indeed, four of the six countries studied in this report have homicide rates more than three times the global average.”
It found that there is no evidence that the large incarceration of people who committed drug-related crimes is reducing the availability of illegal drugs. Except for Jamaica, the other five countries have between 11 per cent and 20 per cent of their inmates locked up for a drug-related crime, some of them charged for felonies with no violence.
“Taken together, these findings indicate that incarceration in the Caribbean is neither effective nor efficient in producing greater safety or just outcomes. Caribbean Governments are encouraged to actively pursue strategies to reduce the prison population.” (G2)