Additional assistance is on the way to reintegrate persons into society who were previously incarcerated.
The Alliance of Reform Minded Entrepreneurs (A.R.M.E) Co-operative Society Limited, which aims to assist such individuals and their families, was launched on Wednesday night, at the Baobab Tower.
And, Minister of State in Foreign Trade and Business, Sandra Husbands, praised the membership of the co-operative for their foresight in creating this important entity.
In an address at the launch, Ms. Husbands said: “I am extremely proud of what you are doing because I believe it brings together economics, and emotions. It brings together kindness, love and vision, to be able to take people and provide for them the opportunity which they need…to get their lives restarted….
“This type of thinking is what is going to be needed to heal this nation and to help us to reclaim the lives of people who have been harmed by the decisions and behaviours that they have engaged in, and then by a system that has failed to help them reintegrate.…”
The Minister noted that several persons are impacted when a family member is incarcerated. She continued: “There is a family who is left behind; there are children who are not cared for, and the end result is that sometimes those children, not having the support and the family life that they need …can find themselves going down a path that is less than practical and useful for their own lives. And so the spiral continues and flows through generation to generation.”
The co-operative society was registered on March 2, 2023, with the vision to raise public awareness on the discrimination and stigmatisation faced by formerly incarcerated persons. Its mission is to secure employment of its members, in addition to promoting their economic interest.
Ms. Husbands said the society’s objectives of providing self-help groups, counselling, job readiness and re-entry services, including housing, are of great value and persons will significantly benefit.
In his remarks, Registrar of Co-operatives, Brent Gittens, said he was “very optimistic” that this society would play a positive role in the rehabilitative process of former incarcerated persons in Barbados.
Mr. Gittens told the audience: “The Alliance of Reform Minded Entrepreneurship Co-operative Society Limited is another shining example of volunteerism and rehabilitation. It is the first such society in Barbados and across the Caribbean, as far as we are aware, which encapsulates within its by-laws that its members must … have been impacted by incarceration, either directly or indirectly, or be a person who seeks reform of the criminal justice system through progress lobbying and activism.
“This particular by-law sends a strong message that this co-operative is very serious about focusing on that segment of the society that is so often neglected and shunned, as well as focusing on the need to re-examine our criminal justice system.”
President of A.R.M.E, Glenroy Babb, said the co-operative society is focused on moving forward in a unified, collective and progressive manner. He stressed that the society is committed to assisting those persons who are incarcerated, and those at risk of going to prison, among others.
Mr. Babb continued: “We are creating…a sustainable co-operative that is going to help and assist those who are serious about their reintegration, as well as their family members…. The Alliance … is committed to giving and providing second chances and opportunities to those who are serious….
“We are embarking on something that is not business as usual in Barbados…, and we will be tackling it head-on to assist those who are serious about reformation, rehabilitation, reintegration, and to help to eventually reduce recidivism in this country.”