I've been concerned for some time about the United States' contribution to Jamaica's crime problems. Today The Gleaner publishes my letter offering a possible improvement:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070914/letters/letters4.html

I think that's an idea that could be developed and conceptualized in the system of reform as it relates to deportees.You are so right. What presently obtains amount to "dumping" without any regard for the difficulties that Jamaica has to contend with when the US authorities for example,drop off these wrong doers, most of whom developed their criminal habits abroad.I strongly agree with you that a bilateral approach that includes providing prison facilities in Jamaica for rehabilation could be of mutual benefit as you have spelt out very well in your article.

It is an opportune time for us to act on your idea and ask our government to explore this joint venture as a means curtailing crime which should be one of our top priorities.

I wholeheartedly agree with Dan Noel's ideas.

When we foreigners enter our respective countries of residence, we have to enter a probationary period wherein we have to prove our "worthiness" before we can even apply for citizenship. I believe that Jamaica, for example, should have such a probationary period before full rights and freedom are restored to deportees. Furthermore, should they fail to redeem themselves, they should be reincarcerated for a specified period of time. Following that, the "three strikes and out" policy in the U.S. should be adopted.

It is crass negligence that both the deporting and the receiving countries have not put measures in place to supervise these criminals.

I think Jamaica although she shares an economic relationship with the US she must continue to maintain her sovereignty. Although deportees place a burden on the country they are born citizen with citizen rights. They have not committed offenses on Jamaican soil or against Jamaica,some of their crimes may not even be considered crimes under Jamaican statutes. We(I am a born Jamaican, living in the US and have very extensive knowledge of the US legal system as it relates to Parole)must be careful of forging a relationship such as the one Don proposes. You could not violate and reincarcerate a person for violating parole when the laws and conditions of release vary in two sovereign nations with different judicial systems. Parolees have given up certain US Constitutional Rights by way of their convictions however they probably have not given up any Jamaican rights or possibly not the same because the offenses did not occur on Jamaican soil. Do you want the US to be in a position to take away and tell a sovereign nation what to do with its nationals. I think there are constitutional, international law and sovereignty issues with Don's proposal. Note that the US does not deport her US born citizens nor does she place her born citizens on parole for offenses that may have occurred elsewhere. 2Cents, there is a difference between parole and probation. Additionally, Jamaica does have requirements before citizenship may be given to foreigners which is fitting since other nations have the same. The US justice system and subsequently is a mutli-billion industry and one of the biggest industry in the US(inherent in its system is racism and socio-economic prejudices)and Jamaica does not have the resources to put in place an equally complex system. I could go on further but will stop here and just say we shouldn't claim negligence until we thoroughly think!

Alice's contribution sheds light on the constitutionality of Don's idea but even if she is correct this matter needs to be adressed. Many of the most vicious criminial activities in Jamaica over the past ten years have been linked directly or indirectly with deportees activities.Certainly, one of Jamaica's most urgent concern should be the promotion of investors' confidence and improving the security of life and propertry is one of the means to that end. Additionally,their mere presence inject a lot of fear in the average Jamaican.I think the matter is sufficiently critical to the security of the country to ammend the constitution if needs be to facilitate a concept of rehabilitation that could have far reaching positive implications for all civic minded citizens here and abroad without sacrificing our soveringty.

Hello TB net, I posted a response to Alice and haven't seen it here. Just wondering if I may have said something impolite or improper. That was not my intention. Would you please let me know if you received it? Thanks.

Leave us your email address and we will be happy to answer your question. Or email us at webmaster@treasurebeach.net

Native, I have included the following link to show just one example of the inequities of the US justice system. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16885997/

Additionally, deportation of convicted foreign nationals is the result of the Crime Bill signed by former President Clinton whose objective was to curb the overwhelming crack cocaine epidemic and accompanying gun violence and spiraling out of control child foster care issue that was a part of this US industry.(I say industry because it generated revenue that was a part of the US economy). This industry also had economic and political consequences in nations where cocaine is grown and the US had vested interest.Furthermore, to reduce crime and diminsh the drug industry in the US Clinton improved policing, drug rehabilitation and most important the economy of the US. We must accept the fact that crime flourishes when economic opportunities are limited( in any economy: US, Caribbean or other) and this may be the true underlying reason for JA's violent crime problem. To quote PJ Patterson, Jamaica does not manufacture guns but the US does. I would venture to say that most of the guns entering JA from Haiti and Central America are the product of US politics and arms support of US political interest in these regions and countries in years pass(e.g. Haitian Coup, Cold War policies in Central America). Although perpetrators of crime in Jamaica include deportees, crimes are also perpetrated by citizens who are not deportees. The JA government has failed to provide a secure uncorrupted police system; educational, economic and significant drug rehabilitation opportunities to the masses which makes the situation fertile for crime to grow. Before proposing taking away citizen rights there should be a study with quantitative and qualitative emphirical data about the relationship between crime and deportees before we make constitutional changes etc...
I strongly believe that the Jamaican government must implement policies to curb the violent crime in Jamaica but I do not think that scapegoating deportess and a simplistic one dimension view will be the solution. The US crime situation in the 1980's-90's did not stop Jamaican's from migrating to the US nor did it motivate Jamaican's residing in the US to leave the US. The reason is that the US offers economic oppotunities. Jamaica's #1 economic resource is foreign remittances-foreign currency(not bauxite, tourism)so the crime problem in Jamaica is not causing people abroad from to abandon their homeland.

Alice could you say what the requirements are for foreigners to get citizenbhip in Jamaica?? there are several being investigated right here in Treasure Beach,up until now thought to be safe foreigners were buying these rights like drivers license.....shake out is coming soon. walk good..

Not sure what people are buying, Yardie, but the criteria I had to meet was living in Jamaica full time for a minimum of 8 years, having a work permit for minimum of 5 years, paying taxes for a minimum of 5 years, no criminal record, and having reference letters from members of the community. After meeting all of the above, the process took an additional 3 years before I was granted citizenship.

I know you can also obtain citizenship by marrying a Jamaican, but I don't know the details on that one.

wish we could do that in your country

Me too.

don't nobody put rebecca on the spot!!!!.she is a down to earth clean hearted person whom has done a lot for our commuinty and deserved to be one of us (jamaican),unlike some of us jamaican who travel and not willing to contribute in a positive way to society .come on my people dont be ignorant and try to justified others doing wrong.a person can only be deported if cought engage in wrong doing or illegal activities and that is law of any country and jamaican's are no exception to this law .sit this one out becca

I may be missing wishing's point, but if you're saying that you wish Jamaicans could get citizenship in the US by jumping through hoops similar to the ones that Rebecca did for her Jamaican citizenship, I think your wish has come true...many years ago, in fact.

I'm aware of many Jamaicans (and other nationalities, for that matter) who have gained American citizenship.

Note that I'm not saying its by any means as easy for Jamaicans to visit the US as it is for Americans to go to the island.

But perhaps I'm missing the point you were trying to make.

I strongly think that these deportees when coming to the United States had bad intention. America did'nt tell them to do bad things, The crime in Jamaica is caused by greed, drugs, and guns. I agree with the American Immigration you do bad things send them back to there country.

Okay, so 'Wishing',s message got me thinking. You see my grandparents on both sides were immigrants to America and became American citizens. I started to wonder how and when they became citizens and what process they had to go through. I found this link: http://www.us-immigration-attorney.com/citizenship.htm.

What I found was it is the same criteria I had to go through to become a Jamaican with the exception of the line, "An applicant for naturalization must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and of the principles and form of government of the United States." I was not asked any questions regarding the history or form of government for Jamaica.

Actually, you only need to reside in America for 5 years, where Jamaica requires 8 years.

This has also sparked some interesting conversation with my parents on what my grandparents experiences were.

Thanks 'Wishing' for the message.

Many Jamaicans and other nationals have been living, working, and paying taxes in the USA for 10 or 20 years and still cannot go through the legal process and become citizens because they are ILLEGAL 'aliens'. That's the way America is set up and maybe that's what was being touched on by Wishing's post. I don't think anyone was rapping the way Rebecca got her papers in Jamaica, just that although it may sound laborious, comparitevely it is still an easier process than the one in the USA. And by the way, Rebecca didn't seem to need all that support. She handled herself quite well in her answers by presenting the facts as they were and using the "me too" line very effectively.

You cannot live in America illegally for 5 years before becoming a citizen. However, you can live in America legally for 5 years, with a green card before you can become a US Citizen, Law abiding citizen both in America and Jamaica. Remember, Immigration will request your police record from Jamaica. You also have to have a sense of the American history and should be able to speak and write the English Language. The questions on the day of your interview are endless, (quick one that I found amusing, "have you had an affair with a married man"...don't misquote me). You are not fully granted an American Citizenship until your are sworn in, etc., etc. AND THERE IS AN ENORMOUS FEE as well.

i would like to add my two cents as well, i do agree that if Jamaicans or any other nationality committs a crime that individual should be held responsible for their poor choices or bad habits that were either learnt or copied.by hanging out with the wrong crowd. Living here in the US , i have learned alot about the system when it comes to justice it doesn't always play fair to minorites and immigrants.These deportees that are being sent back to Jamaica aren't going to be productive citizens ,most of them will return to a life of crime ,because that is what they know.There may be a few who will make a positive out of the negative. Also in regards to the citizenship aspect it is getting much harder for immigrants who reside in the US to gain American citizenship it is very costly to do so and also with the tightened security measures that have ben put in place know since September 11th i have been a US citizen for a couple of years myself i am glad i did back then . Rebecca i am glad that you are know one of us , you have done so much for us in the community of Treasure Beach .Your hard work is much appreciated .

Dont give up a tiny slice of heaven for a big slice of hell!!!!

Big up alice!! it is so refreshing to read educated commentary every once in a while.

On the question of deportees we should get specialist legal advice.But keep in mind that once a person has served his time he is free-his liberty is restored to him and he need not account to anyone for his movements.his sentence was supposed to punish as well as rehabilitate him.i.e. make him fit to join society once more as a law abiding citizen. But many times-too many- that person is released from prison as dangerous as before.so what to do? watch him for life? i think our law has been amended recently to put some sort of monitoring mechanism in place for certain categories of offenders even after they have served their sentence and paid back their debt to society.I distrust formulas like three strikes and you are out. they are emotionally comforting and substitute catchy empty phrases for mature balanced thinking.
and now to the foreigner business.I feel pretty sure that up until recently it was easier to get citizenship in USA than in Ja.If Jamaicans can go to America get their citizenship and prosper [whichever comes first] whats wrong if Americans and any other nationality do the same here in Jamaica? What's good for us not good for them? Corruption is wrong but its everywhere meaning there are jamaicans who get USA citizenship by corrupt means.So come on now be mature. WE have always been big hearted and welcomed the foreigner, boasted to them endlessly about our culture. so what's there to be afraid of?we dont need ZENOPHOBIA i.e. dislike even hatred of foreigners. I live in a northern Carribbean country and i see and feel how nasty and meanspirited and dangerous is zenophobia . lets have a mature debate. and when a foreigner gets his/her citizenship he/she is first and foremost a citizen not a foreigner or even better no longer a foreigner.

Born Jamaica, It is good to have a response from someone who understands some of the workings of the US criminal justice system. Three strikes have not been proven effective. Imagine a person being placed in prison for life because their third committed crime may be stealing a bicycle. Seriously question if that makes sense, guess what, it happens in the US with three strikes. JB, thanks. I want people to really consider the complexity of ideas or proposals that affect their homeland, citizenry, Constitutional rights, protection and sovreignty. Again, if economic situations were better in JA people wouldn't attempt to smuggle drugs, get caught and end up being deported; people wouldn't migrate with "get rich quick selling drugs abroad" ideas. The majority of those deported from the US post Crime Bill were convicted of drug related crimes, not violent crimes. In NY alone, more than 80% of convicted felons on a whole(everyone,not Jamaicans) are in prison for drug related crimes. Additionally, if everyone in JA could find employment, earn a decent wage to match the cost of living, crime( violent and otherwise) would decrease.
Foreign investment in JA is another issue. JA has enjoyed many positive changes due to foreign investment but JA should continue to assess how to deal with this issue. We must be careful of neo-colonialism and losing JA for Jamaicans. Mexico has interesting laws re: property ownership. Interestly, Hawaii also has interesting property laws. It is troubling to see that infrastructure developmentin JA is dominated by foreigners. I am not pointing any fingers nor being zenophobic. Iagree with Born Jamaican that mature debate is good. One question for those who have earned JA citizenship , can your acquired citizenship be revoked? One last point, let us not get angry but continue to have an intelligent discussion that enlightens us all!

I understand some of the hesitations expressed about my approach, but continue to think it's a good idea -- and it appears the Jamaican and British governments are negotiating that approach:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071025/lead/lead5.html

A follow up story in today's Gleaner indicates that the proposed receiving of 40 UK prisoners are for humaritarian reasons. There is no mention or alluding to parole or enhance security for Jamaica . FYI: the UK and JA share similar court systems. I think we should definitely continue to monitor and be cautious about agreements that could threaten citizen's civil rights and Jamaica's ability to exercise her soverneignty and protect her citizens.

http://www.jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20071026/lead/lead2.html

Men without mothers. a cry for our deportees

From the Jamaica Observer

Tuesday, October 30, 2007





Dear Reader,

Until a month ago, I never gave much thought to the problem of deportees. Although a good friend of mine had gone out of her way to reach out to them and to spend a significant amount of her own money to do so, the issue had for some time been tucked away somewhere in the back of my consciousness. That was up until four weeks ago, when one of my best friends arrived in Jamaica to waylay her son who is in the process of being deported

My friend, suffering from acute arthritis, which makes it difficult for her to walk and to use her arms, spent two weeks in my home waiting to see her son whom she had not laid eyes on for over a year. After two anxious weeks, and having incurred the expense of an airline ticket, she packed her bags as I watched, and left for the United States. The last thing she said to me was, "Betty, could you please pray for him to come home safely." She left, without seeing her son. The deportee plane had not come when she thought it would. She was heartbroken, and I could see it.

That was what led to the process of my education about the phenomenon of deportation, and to the access I have been afforded to meet some of the young men we call deportees. I felt compelled to write a part of their story.

It was while my friend was with me that I met John (not his right name). In fact, my reluctance to use the young man's name, even his first name, speaks to the problem deportees experience in having to live "incognito" in order to survive.
When I met John, I knew that I was not looking into the face of a deportee - I was looking into the face of a human being. He was well-dressed, and his handsome looks and lean physique made it impossible for anyone to know that he is a deportee. But it was his gentle voice and kind manner that captured my attention. John was one of eight young men, including my friend's son, who had been convicted for drug trafficking, and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. He was only 19 years old when he was arrested.

"I made a bad mistake as a young man", John admitted to me, "and I understood that I had to pay for it." John served 19 years and a few months of a 20-year sentence. He is now 39 years old. He had migrated to the United States when he was 16 years of age. That meant that when he landed in Jamaica and walked off as a free man, he had only seen the outside world for three years since adolescence.

"I must have moved about 20 times within the US federal prison system," he recalled. "The first one was a maximum security facility, and then over the years, they move you to downgraded prisons. It was when I got to one of the minimum security prisons, where I spent seven years, that I found myself reunited with several of my co-defendants. It became a little easier after that."

"We all bonded and stuck together as Jamaicans. We looked out for each other, and spent every moment we got trying to get information on Jamaica. Although we all learned how to use the computer, we had no access to the Internet of course, so we had to rely on Jamaican newspapers that were sent to us by our families, to get the news of what was happening back home."

One of John's fellow inmates told me that he literally 'studied' the Observer every time he got a copy, so much so that when he arrived in Jamaica, he knew all the current events, including the names of ministers of government. I laughed when he told me that while applying for a job, he helped Jamaicans living here answer questions about Jamaica on their application forms that they didn't know.

"I made up my mind half-way through my imprisonment that I wanted to come back home and contribute to Jamaica," said John. "Not all deportees want to come back home. Some of them stay in the Immigration Detention Centre and fight the legal deportation battle for years. Many of them are afraid to come home because of the crime situation we would read about in the newspapers.

"Everyone of us who decided to come home, talked in prison about starting our own business when we got back to Jamaica. In fact, many deportees now have small businesses already. Mrs Blaine, you would be surprised to know how many deportees are sitting in big positions in this country and doing very well for themselves.

"People think that all deportees are bad people," John continued. "There are basically three types of deportees. One set decides from before they leave prison that they are not staying in Jamaica because it is too hard, and in no time after landing in Jamaica you hear that they are gone to England, Canada or back to the United States. The second set are like me and my friends who decided long ago that we wanted to come home and help build Jamaica. Then, there is the third set who come back and fall into trouble, but those are in the minority, and those are the ones who land back into the communities where they were connected to criminal activities before they left Jamaica.

"The other thing that Jamaicans don't know is that there are middle-class and rich people's children who are also deported. It's not just the poor. In prison, there are Jamaicans from all walks of life - college students, professionals, everybody - and the brilliance and skills they have are amazing."

"What's the most difficult part of being deported?" I asked, "Leaving my family behind," John replied with sadness in his voice. Almost all of the deportees have mothers who live outside of Jamaica, and while the ones I met get help from them, these are men physically separated from their mothers.

What a GREAT human relations story. I hope all in Jamaica and abroad, including policy makers, reads this story which sheds light. Again, I would ask all to consider more closely the "deportee" situation in Jamaica and restain from blaming them for Jamaica's crime problem.

Addressing the deportee question
Jamaica Observer
Rev Raulston Nembhard
Saturday, November 03, 2007



THERE can be no doubt that the return of violent criminals to Jamaica after they have served their sentences in North America and the United Kingdom has been an important factor in the hard-core criminality that has plagued Jamaica.

To be sure, not all deportees are hardened criminals. Many who have been deported, particularly from the USA, are not hard-core criminals, but people who ran afoul of the law by committing petty offences.

What may not be considered illegal in Jamaica certainly is in the USA. Many people have let their guards down and have unwittingly become felons. Any felony, however small or inconsequential it may appear, is a 'deportable offence' in America. That is why Jamaicans who qualify for citizenship are encouraged to apply for it, because a citizen cannot be deported.

The British have worked out an arrangement with the Jamaican government in which convicts can serve the remaining years of their sentences in Jamaica. This makes eminent sense, especially if they are picking up the tab for it. If it is going to be a reciprocal arrangement, it is justified that the British pay for their "accommodation" in Jamaica as they would have had to provide for their upkeep if they were in British jails.

I have long contemplated that this is the answer that is needed to the deportee problem. You cannot "dump" hardened criminals on a society with the social problems that Jamaica has and do not expect to pay a price. Many of these criminals have been away from Jamaica almost since birth.

In many instances, they have no relatives or friends in Jamaica who can lend them a helping hand until they are able to adjust to their new environment. They are not skilled workers, so the possibility of employment is diminished and they become a drag on the society.

Most importantly, they are not psychologically prepared for the "shock" of living in a society that does not care about them, because the society does not know them. Consequently, they are left to drift and to eke out an existence, often in the depressed areas of our cities or prominent towns, places that have proven to be breeding grounds for criminals.

So we are faced with a serious problem. I have long argued, largely in private, that an approach to the problem would be for the Jamaican government to enter into the kind of relationship that is now emerging with the British. With careful consideration, in the last two years of their term, the deportees would be sent to Jamaica to finish their sentences. A holding facility would be built in Jamaica to accommodate them.

This facility would be well staffed and would have counsellors assigned to it who would screen inmates, determine the status of deportees with respect to their offences and their level of mental functioning, and provide the necessary counselling that would assist them to adapt to their new environment. Those who are illiterate or barely literate would be helped to reach functional literacy and be provided with skills training so they would become employable in the short term. The facility could work with the private sector to provide jobs.

Who would pay for all this? The countries that Jamaica would be in contractual arrangement with, largely the USA and Britain, would remit to Jamaica the portion of the monies that they would have been paying for the inmates' upkeep in their own facilities. They could assist Jamaica in building the holding facility - Jamaica would be responsible for staffing.

This would be a win-win situation, for it would ease the congestion in their own prisons while giving Jamaica the opportunity to provide the necessary intervention mechanism for the inmates before they are thrust unceremoniously and unprepared upon a Jamaica that they do not know. It would afford us the ability to monitor them and help them adjust to society at a minimal cost.

I am not arguing that this will be a seamless transition to the society, and a great deal more thinking is required than the bare outline given here. However, what has been suggested has got to be a better arrangement than now obtains. What now obtains fosters criminality.

My plan would buy the government the required time to hold these inmates in detention while preparing them for the larger society. It would show that we care as a society. It is in our best interest to assist these people to be reintegrated into the society.

It would settle the human rights concern of the monitoring of deportees after they had served their time in the metropole. It is better that we have an opportunity to intervene before they are "let off" into the society, than have them sent here to walk off into the sunset, and we have no way of monitoring them or knowing what they are about.

Ultimately, it is a human interest issue. Treating people with a sense of humanity is the greatest linchpin in any programme of rehabilitation. What I am proposing is a bold measure that takes more political will than money. The question is whether the relevant authorities will have that will and move with alacrity to take advantage of a door that the British have opened to us.

Rev Raulston Nembhard, stead6655@aol.com

Rev, there are other reasons/benefits for becoming US citizens other than breaking the law. How about encouraging our children to stay in school, get an education and become productive members of society (Remember Jamaicans of old?). When we live in a racist society such as the US we are liable to get arrested innocently, whether or not we are citizens or educated. We have to constantly look behind us for fear of the Law. Let's wake up and get to the root of the problem.

Hi Fisherman friend are you jamaican?

Rev, the Noose still exist over our head in the U.S as TBG said,we have to constantly looking behind us for fear.If we drive a fancy car we are criminal every thing (Jamaicans )does is a proplem let not kid ourselves racism is bigger than it ever was.

Undoubtedly,our soverignty is paramount but I strongly believe that some agreement can be established to accomplish the initial thought suggested without selling our country. I have no doubt that we have legal minds that can ensure that the preservation of nationhood is not comprimised. But, as a layman I wonder how much more, if any at all, would this be different from another country investing in Jamaica... say for example, the Spanish investing in our tourism.

By TBG on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 08:12 am:
Rev, there are other reasons/benefits for becoming US citizens other than breaking the law. How about encouraging our children to stay in school, get an education and become productive members of society (Remember Jamaicans of old?). When we live in a racist society such as the US we are liable to get arrested innocently, whether or not we are citizens or educated. We have to constantly look behind us for fear of the Law. Let's wake up and get to the root of the problem.


I am always warning my husband (who has been a farrin for about a year and my step son who has been here for 4 months about this). They are more likely to be targeted by police because of skin color and accent.

"Many of these criminals have been away from Jamaica almost since birth." If they have been away from Jamaica since they were young children, then where did they learn to be criminals? Shouldn't those countries where they grew up take responsibility for these people when they leave jail? Why should they be deported? Anyone who has lived away from Jamaica since they were young is likely to be influenced by the country where they lived, not Jamaica.

Hear you N.J. although they have lived abroad all their lives, fact remains that the deportees are still Jamaicans. But sometimes the influence comes from the home too, for e.g. poor parenting skills, poor guardianship, overworked parents, poor values. Let's pray that future generations will do better.

Those who are such strong supporters of deportation with an incarceration component should look at some of the U.S. recently passed and proposed laws with regard to criminalizing illegal aliens.Should these people be reincarcerated because they were deported? Their crime was working and sending remittances back home. By the way, remittances is the primary source of foreign currency in Jamaica. Again, the issue of deportees is very complex. Many deportees are not people who have lived abroad most of their lives. Many are people caught attempting to smuggle drugs into foreign countries from Jamaica,so I must disagree that they learned criminal enterprise abroad. Yes, there is some who have lived abroad since a young age. I would like to know the number of deportees residing in JA presently(what percentage of that group reoffended-crimes broken up to show the # of petty crimes, property crimes, violent crimes, white collar crimes, etc).Policy makers sometimes yield to publiic pressure in making policies, so can we all be educated with real statistics before asking for policies that may be based on perception rather than reality.New Jersey et al: remember your country of birth is your homeland regardless of where else you may migrate to. The US is redefining its immigration/terrorism laws and policies daily and we never know when we will nolonger be welcomed and even criminalized, so be careful what you ask for from your motherland Jamaicans. Ultimately, when Jamaica improves economically, providing employment and education opportunities for ALL with a secure police system and adequate drug rehabilitation the crime problem will reduce. But if the economic situation continues as it has for the past eighteen years, not even locking up every deportee will reduce the crime situation. Crime, drugs and economics are intertwined.