Hanging not the solution - Jamaicans For Justice

[Lazie]

Thursday, November 12, 2009

LOCAL human rights watchdog, Jamaicans for Justice, expressed disappointment Tuesday with church officials who have been calling for the reintroduction of capital punishment to curb Jamaica's high murder rate.

"We should be past knee-jerk responses by now. We should be looking at the implementation of studies and recommendations made over the years," JFJ's executive director Dr Carolyn Gomes said Tuesday. "Not one of them suggests that immediate implementation of the death penalty will have any effect on crime rate," she added.


(L-R) Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) executive director Dr Carolyn Gomes, spokesperson Susan Goffe, and legal counsel Shawn Wilkinson in discussion following Tuesday's press conference at the JFJ headquarters in Kingston. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

"The recommendations (to reduce crime) are for a structured, committed, multi-pronged approached to crime involving policing, social interventions and community support targeting organised crime. It is very disappointing that religious people would be so stuck on vengeance," said Dr Gomes.
She was addressing a press conference at the JFJ's headquarters in Kingston.

Rev Wellesley Blair, pastor of the Bayside New Testament Church in Portmore, St Catherine, on Sunday became the latest churchman to call for the hanging of murder convicts.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...OR_JUSTICE.asp

[Lazie]

Sorry Dr. G. Love the work you're doing but time we put down we foot. Dem 2 mudafockers being tried for the Lyn murders ... if they're found guilty .. just string dem up the next day. All who a complain that they should have been given a chance to appeal ...

[Gamma]

some crimes it must be understood that the punishment is straight retribution, rehabilitation and a life sentence is a waste of tax payer's money.

the irony is that when these cold blooded murderers get the death sentence, dem pursue every avenue of appeal to avoid being put to death...and yet for e.g.in this case...i am sure the lynns pleas for their life fell on deaf ears.

[Lazie]

some crimes it must be understood that the punishment is straight retribution, rehabilitation and a life sentence is a waste of tax payer's money.

the irony is that when these cold blooded murderers get the death sentence, dem pursue every avenue of appeal to avoid being put to death...and yet for e.g.in this case...i am sure the lynns pleas for their life fell on deaf ears.

If there is any possible doubt it better dem get life ... but when the evidence is abundantly clear. They were caught with the victim's vehicle, one relative testified how they were drving the vehicle, carried items stolen from the victims to her house and they were attempting to take money from the victims' bank account. Nuh bodda waste scarce resources feed and cloth dem ...

[Jangle]

Can someone please clarify something for me? Throughout the years there has been this big debate about hanging and it's reintroduction in Jamaica. Is the argument essentially about hanging itself or reintroducing the death penalty? If the issue is not with reintroducing the death penalty, then there are millions of ways to kill a mf. Shouldn't the debate be about the death penalty and not about the method?

[Muadib]

Is the death penalty supposed to be a deterrent to certain crimes ?

Is it possible to have a selective application.. I mean only in cases where there is for example video of the event or maybe even confession of guilt..

I hear that in certain places people on death row have been exonerated by DNA evidence.

How did they get on Death Row in the first place ?

I am a child of a Lesser God.. suh mi juss a likkle curious...

Mi hear ah man talk bout collateral damage.. is one a dem ting.. ?

[Muadib]

Abundantly clear ?

Heh, heh.

Ah Bwoy.

Mi ah nuh Rich White Man and mi nuh name O.J. suh mi haffi disagree pon dis one..

Yuh haffi guh define di Abundantly clear ting...

[Lazie]

Can someone please clarify something for me? Throughout the years there has been this big debate about hanging and it's reintroduction in Jamaica. Is the argument essentially about hanging itself or reintroducing the death penalty? If the issue is not with reintroducing the death penalty, then there are millions of ways to kill a mf. Shouldn't the debate be about the death penalty and not about the method?

The discussions I've heard was about the reintroduction of the death penalty.

[Lazie]

Is the death penalty supposed to be a deterrent to certain crimes ?

Is it possible to have a selective application.. I mean only in cases where there is for example video of the event or maybe even confession of guilt..

I hear that in certain places people on death row have been exonerated by DNA evidence.

How did they get on Death Row in the first place ?

I am a child of a Lesser God.. suh mi juss a likkle curious...

Mi hear ah man talk bout collateral damage.. is one a dem ting.. ?

In the Lynns case right now the evidence is there. Yuh think the defendant cousin would tell all those lies on him? If they're found guilty ... hang dem the following day.

[Muadib]

what yuh mean re-introduction ?

There is a difference between carrying out and convicting.. the Death Penalty exists.. it has not gone anywhere..

[Lazie]

what yuh mean re-introduction ?

There is a difference between carrying out and convicting.. the Death Penalty exists.. it has not gone anywhere..

Well for whatever reason it hasn't been used since the 80s.

[Muadib]

all now yuh nuh ansah di question..

Mek mi put it dis way.. who pays the price when a man is wrongfully executed ?

The man that push di button ?

Di 'State' ?

How it guh... who pay di ultimate price ?

If no-one, then the system is flawed.. suh mi seeit.

[Muadib]

Yuh mean nuhbaddy has ended up on death row since the 80's ???

[Lazie]

Yuh mean nuhbaddy has ended up on death row since the 80's ???

Did I say that? You talking bout death row ... mi talking bout hanging those that the evidence is clear they did it.

[Muadib]

Um.. define clear...