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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"># Jamaicans for Justice Concerned ... ( Gleaner )...</span>
Dr Carolyn Gomes, the executive director of human-rights organisation Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), says the group is "deeply concerned" about the police practice of detaining persons for lengthy periods of time without charge.Yesterday, Gomes said Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington should pay closer attention to the issue."What we have seen is the protracted detention of people by the police without charging them. There are people in police custody for weeks that have never been taken to court," Gomes argued while speaking with The Gleaner yesterday.Her comments come nearly a week after Ellington, writing in the Force Orders, told senior police officers to make every effort to rid jail cells of convicted persons."It has been brought to attention that a number of convicted persons are being held in police lock-ups for protracted periods because of delays in receipt of commitments from the courts, and in some instances, dereliction on the part of the police," Ellington said."This situation is unacceptable and is to be discontinued, especially in view of frequent complaints by divisional officers regarding limited cell spaces," the commissioner added.Yesterday, Gomes said the police must first help to define the problem that is contributing to over-crowding in the lock-ups before they attempt to suggest a fix."We are unable to find out what the chronic over-crowding in the lock-up is due to - people being detained without being charged, due to people detained pending investigations including ID parade. Or are people denied bail and are awaiting a court hearing, or have been convicted and are in police custody when they should be in the custody of the corrections?" Gomes said. No longer than 72 hoursGomes has suggested that Ellington use his next Force Orders to remind members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force that it is illegal to detain persons longer than 72 hours and not take them before the courts."Based on the reports that come to us, there is a huge problem of people being detained at the pleasure of the investigating officers without being taken to court, and they have to stay there for three week, three months before being released without being charged," Gomes said.When Ellington wrote to officers last week, he told them to ensure that steps are taken to "secure commitments from court offices in relation to convicted persons to facilitate their speedy transfer to appropriate correctional facilities".
<span style="font-weight: bold"># Jamaicans for Justice Concerned ... ( Gleaner )...</span>
Dr Carolyn Gomes, the executive director of human-rights organisation Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), says the group is "deeply concerned" about the police practice of detaining persons for lengthy periods of time without charge.Yesterday, Gomes said Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington should pay closer attention to the issue."What we have seen is the protracted detention of people by the police without charging them. There are people in police custody for weeks that have never been taken to court," Gomes argued while speaking with The Gleaner yesterday.Her comments come nearly a week after Ellington, writing in the Force Orders, told senior police officers to make every effort to rid jail cells of convicted persons."It has been brought to attention that a number of convicted persons are being held in police lock-ups for protracted periods because of delays in receipt of commitments from the courts, and in some instances, dereliction on the part of the police," Ellington said."This situation is unacceptable and is to be discontinued, especially in view of frequent complaints by divisional officers regarding limited cell spaces," the commissioner added.Yesterday, Gomes said the police must first help to define the problem that is contributing to over-crowding in the lock-ups before they attempt to suggest a fix."We are unable to find out what the chronic over-crowding in the lock-up is due to - people being detained without being charged, due to people detained pending investigations including ID parade. Or are people denied bail and are awaiting a court hearing, or have been convicted and are in police custody when they should be in the custody of the corrections?" Gomes said. No longer than 72 hoursGomes has suggested that Ellington use his next Force Orders to remind members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force that it is illegal to detain persons longer than 72 hours and not take them before the courts."Based on the reports that come to us, there is a huge problem of people being detained at the pleasure of the investigating officers without being taken to court, and they have to stay there for three week, three months before being released without being charged," Gomes said.When Ellington wrote to officers last week, he told them to ensure that steps are taken to "secure commitments from court offices in relation to convicted persons to facilitate their speedy transfer to appropriate correctional facilities".