August 19, 2002

Dear Sir,

I am not one who would exhibit dogmatically in regards to matters concerning our judicial system here in Bermuda, however, after conversing with a discouraged, entangled, young black male - "College Student" - who has been relegated from a student to a "Westgate prisoner" due to a default of paying traffic fines, I am now compelled to respectfully explicitly "refute" our judicial system, via the letters section - if you will.

I am writing to you from Westgate, as I am here self-aggrandising for the next few years. But this letter is not about me - it's about the young man I mentioned earlier - it's about our judicial system that seems to consistently take the oppressive route when adjudicating young, black Bermudian males and the pragmatic route when dealing with whites and visitors alike... It use to be - "don't do the crime if you can't do the time". Now it seems the crime is not being able to afford the fine, if you're a young black Bermudian male.

I respectfully reiterate to you the suggestion of error in our judicial system, as this manner of adjudication has been obviously and blatantly executed on a monthly basis.

Locking down a young man, (who is a student with no criminal history) in a place amongst hard core criminals will only create within him self-crippling, contemptuous emotions such as; anger, hatred and self pity when this is not what he should be experiencing. I suggest that this despairing exposure can bring about a psychological surge of low self-esteem, prompting the "productive student" to turn to a life style of criminal activity upon his release. I know what I'm talking about, I've seen it happen to a few "would be" promising young men already whom have had their lives railroaded, unjustly.

I ask you: "can the judicial system be exonerated when these young men begin to squander of their lives?" I find it absurd that our Magistrates would resort to such crudeness. We should be encouraging these young men in every positive perspective, they are the future black men of Bermuda. Whether they will be productive assets to our Country or an unproductive menance to our society - they still are the future. I ask you. "What are we creating for our tomorrow?

Westgate is now set up as a rehabilitating, correctional facility, with programme and classes to aid those incarcerated. The programmes are good, but can only work for those who truly desire to redress themselves profoundly.

This young brother, like most young men his age, is very impressionable. If influenced by the wrong company during his sojourn here at Westgate; his own susceptibleness will cause him to eventually make mistakes that will most likely land him in and out of jail.

Your children and my children - our Bermudian young man are headed for college in the future - only.... but only if - we can "financially" afford to keep them from going to jail.

Let's fix the court system, our kids are headed that way - why not ? community service for unpaid fines, rather than incarceration.

MR. RODDELLE LIGHTBOURNE

Westgate Correction Facility