Senator Donna Scott Mottley, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice - Gleaner file photo
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Donna Scott Mottley
The Opposition People's National Party is calling for a dedicated team of investigators to review the status of all incarcerated persons to identify those who might be lost in the penal system.
The call by Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Senator Donna Scott Mottley comes against the background of the death of 81 year-old Noel Chambers, who spent 40 years at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre without trial.
Senator Scott Mottley said the government should move immediately to digitise court records to prevent errors such as those which led to the detention of Mr. Chambers.
"I gather that in the case of Mr. Chambers, what happened is that the records show that he was convicted, so as far as the system was concerned, he was serving a sentence and that is why he got no help at all from anybody. So we can't make this a nine-day wonder, we can't make this be another blip. We have to dedicate and find a team that everybody goes through it rigorously," she insisted.
Senator Scott Mottley said there should be an immediate process of diversion for persons who are deemed unfit to plead, which removes them from the penal structures into a suitable place of care.
She wants the government to move urgently to implement a 2017 recommendation for a separate secured facility to house mentally ill persons charged with serious crimes, such as murder, or those who are extremely violent in nature.
She noted that the recommendation for a separate facility was among several made to the government by the Mental Health and Homelessness Task Force.
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