LLOYD Jackson, a 92-year-old father, is worried about the safety and well-being of his mentally-ill son, who was arrested in connection with the burning down of several bonds at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara last month.

Jackson raised his concerns at an outreach by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to Region Three on Friday. The DPP met with residents at the Nismes/La Grange and Patentia/Toevlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDCs).
Jackson related that his son was diagnosed as being mentally-ill some four years ago. On October 16, he was arrested for setting some bonds on fire in Goed Fortuin, and is on remand at the Lusignan Prison.

Jackson said his concern is that his son is not being taken for medical treatment despite his condition and is also without clothing, to the best of his knowledge.
“He takes treatment from GPHC but he hasn’t been there for the whole year, so he got sick again and he burn down these places. The police beat him, lock him up, pass him through the court. I heard he’s being ill-treated by the prison warden and prisoners, because he is mentally-ill. The police and even the prison wardens are not trained to deal with mentally-ill people. I wouldn’t like for him to die in there because if he dies in there it wouldn’t end so, I sue the government,” Jackson conveyed.

POLICE AWARE
Jackson noted that given the police has dealt with his son over the years, they were aware he is mentally unstable when they arrested him. The elderly man said he attempted to see his son at the prison but encountered difficulties.

“He takes treatment from GPHC [Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation]. He was institutionalised on three occasions; the first time about four years ago, he spent about six weeks. The other times it as shorter. They said he was better and well but they said he is struggling with some kind of thing that affects his nerves,” Jackson noted.
Representing the DPP at the outreach was Communications Officer, Liz Rahaman, who spoke with the attendees about the work of the DPP.

“The objective of our outreaches is that we have a lot of people that need assistance as it pertains to criminal matters, whether they are victims, or the accused family. A team of us would go, myself as communications officer, [and] at least two state councils and a police prosecutor. We have gone to every single region in this country. Our outreaches are from Region One right up to Region 10 as far as Orealla, Mabaruma, Essequibo, and Linden,” she said.

FORUM TO RAISE CONCERNS
Rahaman noted that the outreaches would deal with cases of victims as well as those of the accused, who have concerns with how justice is being served. She distributed copies of the department’s brochure, which covered topics such as the “Functions and Roles of the DPP” and how the DPP can help the public and even prisoners.

“Accused persons also have their civil and constitutional rights. They may be languishing in jail for however long, [but] they have rights. Family of accused persons they do come to meet with us and say the accused person has been awaiting trials for however long, so we take their complaints and deal with it in the relevant manner,” she said.
At Friday’s outreach, she noted that persons even came from villages outside of the district to have their matters addressed.

“We had a man who came all the way from Susannah’s Rust in the Upper Demerara River, who had a complaint concerning his daughter who was sexually molested by her step-father. Now this matter has been set twice for hearing and on each occasion the accused, who is out on bail, failed to make an appearance,” Rahaman noted.

Friday’s meeting was the first of a series of meetings scheduled for the region. Similar meetings will be held at Mora/Parika and Hydronie/Good Hope NDCs on November 12; the Tuschen/Uitvlugt, Stewartville/Cornelia Ida, and Hague/Blankenburg NDCs on November 15; and the La Jalousie/Nouvelle Flanders NDC on November 18.
The outreach by the DPP has been ongoing for the past six years.