Premier: Possible Transfer Of Prisoners
Premier Paula Cox expanded on the Government of Bermuda’s submission for the 2012 White Paper on Overseas Territories which proposed a number of things including transfer of prisoners to UK prisons.
The submission said, “The transfer of prisoners, based on a level of criminality, to UK prisons under an MOU without any added costs, save for administrative fees, would be a very useful area of enhanced cooperation.”
Saying the consideration would be for “severe level” prisoners as a mode of deterrent, Premier Cox said, “We put it there as an issue and as a talking point for further consideration. Bear in mind this is a submission, which can be accepted or rejected.”
“A few years ago we raised this issue, they roundly rejected it might be an overstatement, but it was said to be at such a price, prohibitive price, that it equated to be a no,” said the Premier.
The Bermuda Government presently expends approximately $80,000 per year per prisoner.
Premier Cox speaks on possible prisoner transfer to the UK:
Minister of National Security Wayne Perinchief has previously spoken on the issue, recommending that we incarcerate hardcore gang members overseas.
Last year then Premier Dr Ewart Brown suggested the possible transfer of prisoners overseas saying that some say, whether fairly or unfairly, that “Bermuda prisons are less then prisons”.
The last time it appears a prisoner was transferred was in 1960, when a Bermudian convicted of murder was sent to the UK to complete his sentence in a mental institution that could hold convicted prisoners.
19-yr-old Wendell Lightbourne was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1959 murder of 29-yr-old British secretary Dorothy Rawlinson.
He was scheduled to be executed, however following the report of three psychiatrists that he was mentally unfit, his death sentence was commuted to life in prison to be served in England.
Further back in history — in the 1800s — Bermuda often sent Bermudian prisoners to overseas prisons in a process called ‘transportation,’ with many Bermudians being sent as far as Australia.
why not use our carricom status and ship these clowns off to a real prison in JA
I agree send them to Jamaica…are we still members of Caricom ?
Premier,
Keep spinning us with More Spin. I think right now the concern should be delivering on the promises you gave the delegates at Devonshire Rec
It appears that your little helpers are not keeping you well enough informed about the real issue you need to focus on right now
In the meantime please give us some more cake not more meaningless promises
To Whom it May Concern:
Those of you who like using big words to confuse us should also pack your bags and go to the UK.
Like Mr. Lightbourne in 1959 we are all mentally unfit to keep listening to this production it reminds me of The Damnation of Faust.
Yours sincerely
Wanted – A New Leader
Is Wendell Lightbourne still living?
Rope is a whole lot cheaper than housing them.
Hell I’d spend my own paycheck to purchase the rope and lumber to build the gallows. $80,000 a year to house and feed rapists, murderers, child molesters and drug importers. I don’t even make $80,000 a year and I work my @$$ off. Yet my money goes toward these scum who sit around all day taking up oxygen, food, and fart space from the rest of us. I say do away with prison for the most hardened criminals and spend that money on treatment for their victims.
The comments above prove that some of you are only about negativity. you complain about housing them at westgate, the govt investigates alternatives, and you complain about that. ridiculous.
After doing some searching on the net, it would appear that Mexico, at around $4,000 a year, is one of the cheapest places to incarcerate an inmate. I understand that it costs us about $70,000 annually to house a prisoner at Westgate. I say send them to Mexico and save ourselves $66,000 per prisoner per year. Of course, there is the travel expense, but that would be a very small percentage of the difference in costs!
my guess is closer to $80,000… just a hunch lol
send them to mexico! they need a real prison not a holiday inn. i dont mind my tax money sending them far far away
Well if you wanna send them to Mexico you will be giving them all a death sentence because these lil’ Punk Wannabe Gangsters will not survive the Real Deal….they will be eaten alive …..lmfao….no mommies to answer their crying calls….hahahahah …DO IT , STOP PLAYING WITH THE SURVIVAL OF BERMUDIANS FOR BERMUDA!
Oh i jus remembered…these guys dont like to be sworn at or told what to do…so we better keep them here and babify them somemore cause you know they are really good boys ….hahahahahaha biggest joke of the millenium.
Why not a few years in Siberia? That would cool them down and at little cost.
It’s about time! I have been saying this for years. Maybe they would think twice before acting knowing they will be ‘locked up abroad’. No mommy no daddy no ace boys no girlfriends no cell phones no work release no KFC nothing but the time they deserve to spend for taking someone else’s LIFE!
send them overseas after you wrap them up in plastic at the airport!
good governance
we can give a friend the contract called “Wrap an Onion at LF Wade”
Another BS statement by our ineffective government. The UK has an overwhelming number of early releases due to prison overcrowding – FACT. Now HRH Cox has spouted off about a concept that SHE alone has in mind. There is no way the UK government would agree to this. Unlike here, their government has to compete for votes in the face of a viable oposition. Can you imagine the outrage at UK prisoners being released early while Bermudian prisoners take up space in British prisons? Kool Aid time again
So here we have a PLP government proposing to ship our black boys off to a foreign land in chains.
Does no-one see the irony?
Can you imagine if the old UBP suggested this?
Look-I’m black but let me say this: they aren’t proposing shipping off ‘black boys’-they’re suggesting shipping off hardened criminals. If those criminals end up being black, so be it. Don’t even turn this into a racist thing. These guys have no problem putting themselves in ‘chains’ or handcuffs, so don’t try and make the Gov’t look bad for doing the same thing. As much as the PLP gov’t is getting on my nerves these days, I support the transfer of prisoners overseas 100 percent.
The only thing I would suggest is sending these prisoners to Jamaica. Once these little punks get wind that they could be sent there and away from their mommies, I’ll bet we see crime plunge. Westgate is no deterrent and drastic times call for drastic measures! People say they’ll come back hardened and bitter, I say they come back having learned a valuable lesson and will strive to stay out of trouble lest they get sent back there-the perfect deterrent!
If we can’t send them to Jamaica, my next suggestion is Cuba. We seem really tight with them and they need the money so why not? We’ve sent vehicles down there, we’ve had cultural exchanges with them, etc. so why not send them our prisoners? People will say that it would piss off the U.S. but they even had their own terrorist prison camp there so it would be mighty hypocritical of them to condemn us for sending criminals there.
I really, really hope these people are serious about this. We need to do something drastic to shake these guys up and let them know we mean business, and that us law-abiding citizens won’t be held hostage by their bullying tactics anymore!
i agree with what you say, but i think your first comment against family man are off base. i believe he is being sarcastic, and noting the hypocrisy in the PLP.
When they ubp came up with ideas for hardened criminals, “…our black boys off…in chains” is exactly the rebuttal the plp gave.
Yes he might have been but I agree with Buzz that was uncalled for with obvious reference to slavery. I do not condone this type of talk as a white Bermudian more need to do the same but you can only change yourselves.
As far as sending these guys off island think we could do it to a country where we are not sending the key witnesses to their crimes though? Just saying.
LOL
Exactly. You’ve hit the nail right on the head. I totally agree. Red yellow black or White. If u take life send them out of here! West gate is a playground with ice-cream and sprinkles!!!
We need not be racist about it – we can send the white prisoners too!
Since when do we refer to murderers, child molesters and rapists as “our black boys”?? You need to stop sprinkling the bat$#!T on your cornflakes.
Although I support the idea, this will never happen.
These prisoners have families and kids in Bermuda and no government is going to send them away.
If these guys are sent away and not able to see their family, especially their kids, for many years….they will return to Bermuda very bitter and angry….and likely to cause more trouble.
This will never happen because the British prison system is already overflowing, and the British Government is tired of Bermuda.
You can’t have it both ways Paula…either you want British support, in which case stop Minister Perinchief’s absurd outbursts, or shut up and get on with solving the issues that make Westgate full.
How nice to see such wise and reflective words from our Governor last week, I’m sure he would have loved to say – you know what Wayne, screw you, see how you get on without EU passports, Scotland Yard and Waitrose at Supermart. But he didn’t and hats off to him.
………………Dear Premier…………..remember to take MP Minors with you when you close the door as she claimed a full MPs salary and did absolutely no work in the most important Ministry and that cant be an example of the good governance you espouse make an example of your Cuzin I say, ship her off to the UK…
………..if MP Minors’ successor doesnt stop talking about Hamilton Parish take him as well.
Lets put them in the “Phantom Zone” to float in space forever!!!!
I hear the Negative zone is worse…just ask HULK. He said he ain’t ever going back.
I am thrilled about the idea of sending prisoners away. It will be a twofold success in that we will save money and it will help deter crime. The only thing I am concerned about is whether or not we will have prisoners to deport. The police are having a hard time finding and persecuting perpetrators of violent crime. Also, the laws that Bermuda has seem to protect the criminals or let them go off with lighter sentences than they deserve.If we do not have better laws or policing will we even be able to rid our beautiful paradise of the crimonals that are now holding law-abiding citizens hostage?!!?
Wouldn’t it be nice to ship them off island! Mexico or another South American country sounds good at double the actual cost down there. They deserve to make some money off the deal. Cuba sounds even better.
Never happen & we all know it.
There is a local option. A prison ship. There is a prison barge, a huge thing, in NY, across the bay from La Guardia airport.
Moor something like that just inside the reefline way out by North Rock. There won’t be any walking out to catch the bus, no worry about escapes. Sharks would be attracted to the area in no time.
I agree with writer Buzz Cuzz i don’t care who you are black white green or red send those hard criminals to a place that is rough and hard let them feel the true meaning of being incarcerated these people are no good to society.
First good idea she’s had since taking office
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Oh yes indeed! Cry baby cry wipe ya little eyes!!!
mmmm interesting, lets dump our trash on someone else,s lawn…not cool…am responsiable for my own …to ALL Peace Good Health and Happiness
mmmmm ok lets put our trash on someone else,s lawn….not cool..i am responsable for my own…..Peace Good Health and Happiness to ALL
I have been saying that we need to send hardened criminals overseas for a while. Being in a hardcore prison in a foreign country will make a bigger impact than going to Westgate. They won’t see family very often, they don’t know/aren’t friends with the inmates, conditions are worse, etc. The cost side is another benefit. Why would we spend 80k a year here when we can save 75% of that cost and put it towards the debt the government has created. Sounds like a no brainer to me.
Don’t ship them away 2 a different country just take all luxury from them in our own prison. Stop spending so much money 2 make sure they are happy and let them suffer. Keep the small time offenders up westgate and put all the hard criminals on an island with only tents n gardens. Make them plant 2 eat n teach them survival skills. No mommy 2 bring u kfc or ace boys with phones so u can facebook and bb like your on holiday. Bobwire, electrical fencing, k9 dogs and guards with the same guns they shooting eachother with just incase they think about trying 2 escape. And just like america if they try 2 escape….. SHOOT 2 KILL…