Jamaican human rights group concerned about death of mentally ill inmate

A human rights group, ‘Stand Up For Jamaica’, is sounding the alarm following the death of an inmate, Leroy Bailey, on Monday (September 11).

Bailey was held at Jamaica’s Tower Street Adult Correctional Center.

Decades without justice

Reports are that Bailey, a mentally ill individual, was imprisoned for 22 years at the discretion of the Governor General.

This incarceration method essentially allows detainees to be held indefinitely without trial.

The group’s Executive Director Carla Gullotta shared that Bailey was not convicted of any crime, and expressed that the justice system has neglected cases like Bailey’s.

Echoes of a past tragedy

She shared that the organization has long campaigned for the rights of inmates trapped within the justice system.

A previous case that sparked outrage was that of Noel Chambers. After being detained at Tower Street since February 1980, Chambers died in 2020 — a shocking 40 years in prison without ever being tried or convicted.

A plea for transparency and accountability

Drawing attention to the broader issue, Gullotta highlights her organization’s struggles with the Ministry of National Security and other related agencies. She expressed that their requests for information about the state of mentally ill inmates have continuously been met with silence.

A call for a comprehensive review

She has called on The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the immediate events surrounding Bailey’s death, and the history and context of the circumstances leading up to his death.

Additionally, Gullotta wants a commission inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the confinement of mentally ill individuals in prisons and the detentions sanctioned by the Governor General and the courts.