DEATH PENALTY NO DETERRENT: THIS AS HOMICIDES SUGGESTED ON DECLINE
Despite a rise in crime and an advisory issued in diplomatic circles to be wary of possible violent robberies, there is a suggestion that extended jail terms and reviving the gallows may not prevent further incidents of a similar nature.
This was part of the findings released at Almond Bay in Hastings when the Criminal Justice Research & Planning Unit made public their report on “Release of Updated Homicide Study.” Senior Research Officer Kim Ramsay told participants the data collected was from 1980 to present, with statistics from the 80’s and 90’s somewhat sketchy while from 2000 onwards the data was full of numbers and other significant facts.
She said Barbados experienced 739 murders for the last 35 years which places it at 10 per 100-thousand which globally is very low in homicides which lends itself as being unnecessary to look at re-implementing the death penalty – instead she feels community based alternative dispute resolutions are the way forward;-
Ms Ramsay also stated that 2015 data was not included since the year still has a way to go, but acknowledged so far there have been 27 deaths in 2015, and while the public is reacting anecdotally to recent events, Ms Ramsay contends the statistics show a reversal in murders;-
