Exploring Pretrial Detention and Pretrial Processes in Five Caribbean Countries

Abstract

Caribbean prisons face a myriad of challenges, including a high percentage of individuals held in prison for prolonged periods of pretrial incarceration. Close to 40 percent of the prison population in Caribbean countries is made up of pretrial detainees not yet convicted of a crime. Nevertheless, research related to pretrial populations and pretrial processes is often neglected in Caribbean criminological research. Little is known about the characteristics of those who are on remand, their criminal history, and their perspectives on their pretrial justice involvement. In this chapter we provide a detailed and comparative examination of pretrial detention in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago by analyzing self-reported survey data from pretrial detainees. We found that people held in pretrial detention wait, on average, two and a half years for their cases to be resolved; they are exposed to extreme hardship and material deprivations during incarceration; and, for many, pretrial procedures are an anticipated punishment. We end by suggesting opportunities for future inquiry about pretrial justice in the Caribbean.