Bail bill, sentencing guidelines seen as ways of reducing prison overcrowding

Prison overcrowding has been an age-old issue for the justice sector. To this end, the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme has advanced a number of steps aimed at arresting the problem including sentencing guidelines and a bill on bail.

This was announced by Project Manager of the SCJS, Indira Anandjit and Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandall SC during their respective presentations yesterday at the opening ceremony of the programme’s mid-year review.

Legal aid, restorative justice and the utilization of community and probation services were offered as means to address the problem of prison overcrowding which Anandjit said is hoped will bring some measure of relief to the police, prosecutorial, judicial and prison resources.