|
The ability of the criminal justice systems to process effectively and efficiently is a basic ingredient of proper system functioning in any nation. Significant delays in one part of the system often reverberate through other parts of the system,Wholesale Jerseys From China, reinforcing the cliché that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, according to the Caribbean Human Development report 2012.The report further stated that case processing delays and backlogs have had a debilitating effect on criminal justice systems in the Caribbean.It was noted that various explanations exist for the processing capacity of the justice system, most notably is institutional weakness. Corruption, poor management,Wholesale Jerseys China, and inadequate finances and resources are also often blamed.However,Nike NFL Jerseys China, researchers concluded that backlogs were partially responsible for massive increase in homicides and shootings because violent repeat offenders who might have been incarcerated based on the evidence were free to continue offending.In underscoring Guyana in the report, it was noted that in 2010,Wholesale Jerseys, nearly 41 percent of its prisoners had not yet been tried or convicted on the current charges for which they were being detained. For defendants who are not guilty, backlogs might mean spending a lot of time in jail for offences they did not commit.Although systematic data are not available,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, scattered evidence suggests that conviction rates in the Caribbean are alarmingly low. For instance,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China, Guyana’s Justice Sector Reform Strategy 2006-2010 reports that an estimated 90 per cent of criminal prosecutions in the magistrates’ court are unsuccessful.Many people awaiting trial in the region are held in pre-trial detention, sometimes for years. The practice of pre-trial detention is controversial. Setting pre-trial detainees free may endanger the public and reduce citizen security in the region, but holding them for lengthy periods is an affront to justice and overwhelms the capacity of prisonsWhile overcrowding is problematic on its face, the report noted that it has generated residual issues associated with the conditions of confinement. Some reports document widespread deterioration in prison conditions in the Caribbean because of overcrowding, poor sanitation and resource constraint.Noting that the large number of people held in pre-trail detention is a major contributor to backlogs and overcrowding, Caribbean Human Development Report 2012 states that many nations faced with increases in crime,Wholesale Jerseys From China Supply, particularly violent crime, have passed laws containing provisions for harsher sanctions and longer prison terms for certain type of offenders, particularly those convicted of gang-related crimes.“Harsher prison sentences for certain type of offenders are likely to produce public safety benefits, but such sentences for other types of offenders–particularly non-violent drug offenders and older offenders who have aged out of crime–contribute to prison overcrowding.”The report also states that policymakers facing an increase in crime and high levels of violence often focus so intently on being tough on crime that they forget about the importance of rehabilitation and alternative sanctions. |
|