ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Aug 11, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for greater cooperation between the judiciary, parliament and the executive in addressing the recent increase in crime and violence, while emphasizing the need for sentences that are proportionate to the seriousness of criminal offences.
Speaking at a national security meeting on Monday with senior security and law enforcement officials, Prime Minister Browne said he is particularly concerned that repeat offenders and persons convicted of gun-related crimes were receiving sentences which, in his view, did not adequately reflect the seriousness of their offences.
While he acknowledged the constitutional separation of powers among the Judiciary, Executive and Parliament, Browne said there must nevertheless be a degree of cooperation among the three branches in fulfilling their respective responsibilities for the governance and security of the country.
He pointed specifically to legislation which provides for sentences of up to 15 years for certain gun offences, but questioned whether sentences of only two or three years for serious gun-related offences provide a sufficient deterrent or adequately protect the wider society.
“We are asking for your cooperation. We are demanding it in order to keep our country safe,” he told the meeting even as reiterated that his comments were not intended to undermine the independence of the Judiciary.
A statement issued after the meeting said that the Prime Minister also raised concerns about the repeated incarceration and release of known offenders, describing the situation as a revolving door that makes the work of law enforcement more difficult.
He said the government would rather see dangerous repeat offenders properly incarcerated than returned to communities where they may commit additional offences, noting however that stronger sentencing must be accompanied by meaningful rehabilitation.
He called for the prison system to provide mandatory skills and trade training to inmates, particularly repeat offenders who may lack the skills necessary to secure employment upon release.
Prime Minister Browne said longer periods of incarceration, where warranted by the seriousness of the offence, could also provide an opportunity for offenders to acquire skills that would assist their reintegration into society and reduce recidivism.
The statement said that he further proposed that capable prisoners be given opportunities to contribute labour to appropriate national programmes, including the maintenance and cleaning of public spaces, as part of a structured rehabilitation and skills-development programme.
Prime Minister Browne said the government has a responsibility to protect law-abiding citizens and to ensure that persons who repeatedly commit serious offences are dealt with appropriately within the criminal justice system.
He called on the police and other law enforcement agencies to provide the courts with relevant intelligence and information concerning repeat offenders, including their criminal histories and patterns of offending, so that the justice system has the information necessary to make informed decisions.
Prime Minister Browne also said that appropriate sentences can, in some circumstances, protect offenders themselves by removing them from situations in which they may continue to engage in dangerous criminal activity.
He said the government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the country’s response to crime and will maintain its call for a justice system that balances rehabilitation, deterrence and the protection of society.
Browne said that the escalating challenge of crime requires all institutions of the state to fulfill their respective responsibilities, while respecting the constitutional framework governing the separation of powers.
“We are trying to protect our country,” Prime Minister Browne said, reaffirming that the government will continue to take the necessary steps to strengthen public safety and restore confidence in the country’s ability to confront serious and repeat criminal offending.
The meeting on Monday came amid an increase in gun related crimes, including Sunday’s shooting of Chinese investor, Yida Zhang, the owner of the YIDA Special Economic Zone.
Police said that Zhang was shot after a gunman entered the property. Zhang is reported to be in a stable condition at hospital. The authorities have not determined a motive or established how the attacker gained access to the heavily guarded compound.
But the attack is the latest in a series of shootings in recent weeks several of which have been brazenly carried out in broad daylight, including a double shooting near West Bus Station last Thursday.
A statement posted on the Facebookpage of Prime Minister Browne said Cabinet at a special meeting on Monday agreed that, with immediate effect, immigrants whose legal status in Antigua and Barbuda has expired will have a maximum of 60 days to regularise their status with the Immigration Department.
It said that persons who fail to regularize their status within the 60-day grace period will be required to leave the country. The Cabinet has indicated that such individuals may return to Antigua and Barbuda at a later date, subject to the applicable immigration requirements.
The Cabinet said the 60-day period is intended to provide persons with expired immigration status a reasonable opportunity to regularize their circumstances while strengthening the country’s border management and national security framework.
The government is encouraging all affected persons to use the grace period to ensure that their immigration status is brought into compliance with the laws of Antigua and Barbuda.
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