Prisoners beat officers...in Bocas Lit Fest debate

Team Intellect, a group of charismatic inmates from a number of local penal institutions, convinced a panel of judges that every race does indeed have an equal place in TT, as they went on to triumph against their opponents of the TT Prison Service in a recent intense but cordial debate at a packed-out City Hall, Port of Spain.

The debate, which was organised by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and Wishing for Wings Foundation, featured two teams of ten speakers, many of whom kept the audience engaged with well-prepared talking points.

“Even today in our nation’s prisons, this right to freedom of worship is not forfeited or infringed upon. This struggle has been emphasised as part of TT’s anthropological history and is depicted by renowned West Indian author Earl Lovelace in his book, The Wine of Astonishment,” charged Team Intellect’s lead debater, Arnold Ramlogan.

Laselle Burrel of Team Prisons
rebutted: “Does every creed an race find an equal place in this nation? We, the negative, state categorically and without reservation a resounding no.”

Burrel and her colleagues stressed a racial and economic basis for their argument, alluding to an unequal distribution of wealth where race is concerned.

“Although there is a large middle class, there are also extremes of wealth and poverty. (I) guess it was because every creed and race had an equal place in TT that led to the Black Power revolution and the 1990 coup attempt,” Dexter de Bellot said ironically for Team Prisons.

It was the well-prepared prisoners who came in for the most praise for their articulate statements and measured rebuttals.

“Allow me to digress as I point you in the direction of our Parliament, where we have an African prime minister, an Arab-Indian attorney general, a Chinese Minister of National Security, a French Creole Minister of Finance, a female East Indian opposition leader, and our head of state is an African woman,” offered another member of Team Intellect.

“TT is the only country in the Commonwealth that has this assortment of races,” he continued, raising his voice over the audience’s cheers. Team Intellect included inmates from Carrera, the Eastern Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre, Golden Grove Remand, and Maximum Security Prison. It was an idea spawned by Prisons Officer III, said Newsday columnist Debbie Jacob, who executed the debate activities.

Jacob, who heads the Wishing for Wings Foundation and is an author of a book by the same title, said the debate programme has worked wonders for the participants, specifically in their confidence, self-worth and critical thinking. Although Jacob executes the debate activities, she credits Prison Officer III Joel Roberts with the concept.

Jacob and other stakeholders were encouraged by the turnout for the debate, which she said proved many still value the contributions of the inmates, who are otherwise sidelined and shunned by society.