IMPRISONED WITHOUT TRIAL

Sir,
                       
Many are prisoners of their thoughts and their pasts, by choice for these permit their thoughts to venture everywhere and remain imprisoned in their past, but in this article I will be dealing with physical incarceration.

During all the years I had transcribed for the courts I had never imagined what it felt like to have someone you love being imprisoned. During the experience you feel as if your inside have been ripped out.

You feel so helpless and lost. Every thought brings to mind the person who is in custody. Prior to this incident I would observe in awe as others discussed how someone had been incarcerated unjustly. I could not fathom how innocent beings could have such befall them, until twice in my life people very dear to me had the unfortunate experience of this happening to them.

It was only then that I realised how people tend to judge and make up their minds that someone deserves such punishment. One cannot rest until they have done everything possible in their power to ensure that the person they love is liberated from the confinement of those prison walls.
Every visit to the prison tends to assert that emotion of total and utter loss of control. Visits are monitored, resulting in conversations being restricted and those overwhelming feelings of tearful emotions are difficult to control.

One cannot even touch the hand of an incarcerated person. Family members constantly remind one not to cry in front of the detainee to ensure that the incarcerated person remains in high spirits.

There are numerous investigative programmes that one can watch which awaken one to the reality that numerous people throughout the world have been unfairly imprisoned. In our country many people are at the Remand Centre awaiting trial. These people’s lives are on hold and their incarceration prevents numerous family members from proceeding with their lives because the person incarcerated was the only breadwinner. 

It is only when one experiences this personally that one realises the importance of being supportive towards those whose family members are in custody. Vocalising uncalled for opinions only tend to worsen the situation people find themselves in. It was all those years ago that I learned the importance of endeavouring to finish a transcription as soon as possible instead of working on it ‘when I had finished’ whatever else appeared to have priority. 

Transcriptions took and continue to take centre stage in my life. I learnt to awaken at the crack of dawn whenever I had been handed a criminal matter, in my attempt to submit the duly transcribed case realising that without that transcript, that person did not stand a chance of having their matter reviewed.

It therefore pains me to note that our prisons and Remand Centre remain overcrowded. Those employed in the justice system do not give cases the urgency they deserve. Files are left on desks while these employees attend to what they believe are more important matters. It seems to me, after a few years of working in the system, all compassion, consideration and understanding of the situation of others is the last thing on their minds.

According to the laws we follow, all people are innocent until proven guilty, yet the attitude and attention meted to them is as if they have already been condemned. Until their incarceration has been confirmed by the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the land, one cannot really label another a ‘criminal,’ for we are all human and we all err.

Do not lose compassion and understanding of the situation those incarcerated find themselves in, for none of us know our fate. (Comments: My FB page; inaldathegreat@gmail.com www.inalda.co.sz )

Inalda Jorge-Antonio

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