Thursday, May 4, 2006

by Malaika Laurent
Caribbean Net News Dominica Correspondent
Email: malaika@caribbeannetnews.com

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica has signed a mutual Prison Transfer Agreement with the United Kingdom to allow prisoners to serve sentences in their home country.

Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland and Dominica’s Attorney General Ian Douglas signed the agreement, which was enforced with immediate effect.

Baroness Scotland referred to incarceration in a foreign country as a “double sentence.”

“A person who is incarcerated in a foreign country obviously suffers a double disadvantage. One, you are incarcerated, which is penalty and punishment, but secondly, they are separated from their families,” Baroness Scotland said.

She believes that the arrangement will benefit both the government of Dominica and the United Kingdom.

“For both of our systems, both the offenders who are incarcerated here, or incarcerated in the UK, if everyone agrees that it is the right thing to do, both the governments and the individuals concerned, proper arrangements can be made between us and I think it is a very helpful and appropriate start for us to have taken.

“There is one British person in prison here in Dominica. Of course it will depend if he wishes to take advantage of this and if Dominica wishes to agree to it. I think the most symbolic thing is that it enables us to have an arrangement in place,” Baroness Scotland said.

Dominica’s Attorney General, Ian Douglas says this agreement confirms and strengthens the relationship between the two countries.

“As we strive to maintain our relations in the global village, this prison transfer agreement will allow us anther step in that direction,” Mr Douglas said.

The UK and St Lucia signed a similar agreement in Barbados on April 27.

Baroness Scotland said the UK hopes to sign similar agreements with all the OECS countries in the region.

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