Deportees

Now here is the kicker, the term, "Deportees" can be referring to imported cars from Asian countries or "criminals returning to the island." What comes to mind when I hear deportees though is the latter. You come back to the island with only the clothes on your back, loss of dignity and many times leaving your family behind. You handcuff to the airplane seat, with your paperwork in a manila envelope. That is all you carry. The majority of deportees though that come back to the island (contrary to opinion) are not all criminals. Their are many who have committed only immigration violations.

Sadly, the ones who do commit crimes abroad come back and lend their skills to the local gangs (bad bwoy dem). In the 70's and even some years of the 80's you did not hear about drive-bys in Jamaican communities. This is one thing that was brought back by the deportees.
A United States government commissioned study in 2004 done by the University of West Indies Professor of Criminology, Bernard Headley said the that over 5,000 Jamaicans sent back from the United States between 1997 and 2003, very few were guilty of murder.

Jamaica's Ministry of National Security though (at the time) Secretary Gilbert Scott argued that a large number of criminal deportees were indeed involved in serious crimes, focusing on drug related activities. The Head of Operation Kingfish, Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds said, "Deportees have always been involved in criminal activity, however, the level of involvement cannot be qualified."

Whatever the dispute in the reports, many Jamaicans know that crime has increased in Jamaica and they are hoping this new government helps in alleviating that. Sending back criminals to a country that is struggling to get back on its feet is a crime itself (that is my opinion). Wouldn't be so simple that if someone bothers you, you simply ship them over to someone else. Fact is that the deportees, many of them, when to make life better for themselves and their families, but were never properly educated about life outside of their native land.

Sometimes trading one prison, for another.