Socio-Economic Determinants of Criminality
1.21. Poverty, unemployment and underemployment, inequalities, the rising cost of living,
social exclusion and marginalisation and governance failures provide an enabling environment
for criminality to flourish.
1.22. Unemployment remains a key policy concern with most of the Member States of
CARICOM having unemployment rates between 10% and 25%. The current weak state of the
global economy places an added burden on CARICOM, making the Region more vulnerable to
the threats posed by gangs and transnational organised crime syndicates which thrive in areas
where poverty is prevalent and opportunities are limited.
The Criminal Justice System
1.23. A well-functioning criminal justice system is indispensable to a free, equitable and
democratic society. It is the ultimate source of protection of the rights of the citizen, holding the
scales between one citizen and another and between the citizen and the State. The effectiveness
of security programmes is constrained by deficiencies in the criminal justice systems and its lack
of resources. There are large backlogs in the Courts, witnesses are often left unprotected, and
justice is frequently delayed for years. Justice delayed is justice denied.
1.24. Witnesses are increasingly being threatened and in some cases murdered, further
undermining the functioning of the criminal justice system. This, in conjunction with the
extended delays in processing criminal cases and large backlogs in the Courts, results in very low
conviction rates, which means that laws have very little deterrent effect.
1.25. Prisons and correctional institutions constitute a key operating environment for criminal
organizations. Members of criminal organizations recruit new members, network with other
criminal organisations, plan criminal activities and establish regional and international contacts
while in correctional institutions. In many Member States the prisons and correctional
institutions populations are growing at a rapid rate. Overcrowding seriously impedes with the
rehabilitation process. The majority of prisoners serve relatively short sentences, which means
that they soon return to the community. Correctional institutions must therefore be more than
places of punishment; they must serve to rehabilitate offenders who will someday return to
society to work and live.
1.26. There is an urgent need to reduce the Region’s dependence on the use of foreign-based
forensic laboratories; reducing the costs and time of procuring forensic services and allowing for
the prioritization of critically important cases. Law enforcement and security agencies cannot
effectively respond to criminality without the support of better forensic science and technology.
Maritime Domain
1.27. Trade is heavily dependent on the free movement of maritime traffic, managed with
safety and security. Ports and maritime services play a vital role in CARICOM Member States
with 90% of imports and exports carried by sea (World Bank, 2007).
17