Ex-prisoner determined to succeed – For the love of my mother

No one ever expected them to succeed. Many people were sure they would end up back behind bars.

Sunday Newsday tracks the progress of eight men who won their cases or got out on bail. Their lives outside prison are featured in a series on inmates from Debbie Jacob’s CXC English classes and debate teams.

Why did these men make it when so many others failed?

Read their stories of redemption, rehabilitation and reinvention in the Sunday Newsday

Part II

Ricardo Gittens had goals when he came out of the Maximum Security Prison on November 30, 2022.

He had spent 16 years and three months in prison – half his life – and his main purpose ­– to be reunited with his mother Ann Marie Hughes – never diminished.

“My mom always stood by me. She never gave up on me,” said Gittens.

He regretted quitting school in 2002 and moving out of his mother’s house to live with a friend in Arima. That decision led to a murder charge when he was 16.

In the Youth Training Centre, the burly teen with a soft voice placed second for his Emancipation Day speech about the injustice of slavery and appreciating the freedom people take for granted.

Gittens was transferred to the Maximum Security Prison while facing his first trial, which ended in a hung jury.

In court on January 2022, he heard the process had to start all over again for a second trial, so Gittens pleaded guilty rather than wait years for a retrial.

On November 30, 2022, he was released.

“Every year I have to go to court on that date so the judge can see how I am progressing,” he said.

Gittens had hopes and dreams when he came home.

“I want to start my own woodworking business from my mom’s house, open a shop to sell sweet drinks and snacks, and work part-time in construction,” he said.

The plan was to keep busy and earn money to achieve his goals, but Gittens’ plans came to a halt because of his mother’s deteriorating health. She had worked at PriceSmart in Mausica, but complications from covid19 in 2020 prevented her from returning to work.

Then she had a stroke two months after he returned home.

“She can’t walk by herself. She needs someone to hold on to, and I’m the only one who can take care of her,” Gittens said.

He had been taking odd jobs with his brother – landscaping, pressure-washing, construction. Someone volunteered to help him with supplies for his woodworking business, but
he didn’t get far with that as a promise by a donor to supply equipment fell through. He is still hoping that he can save enough to buy pieces of equipment to get started.

“I’m just surviving right now, but I am accustomed to surviving,” he said.

“My family assists me. Sometimes I get a day's construction work, mixing cement or cutting yards. I run fast and do the work, because my mother can’t do anything until I get back home.”

Gittens has six brothers and a sister but they all have their own families and he took on the responsibility for caring for his mother with their help.

Gittens said his life “takes a lot of patience.

"But I have that. I had patience for over 16 years in prison, and that prepared me to take care of my mom.

"I would do anything for her. She did everything for me when I was at my lowest. She took care of me all the time I was in prison. It’s good to return the favour – although I can never repay her for what she did for me.”

He still dreams of making furniture and opening a business, now envisioning a minimart where people from the village of Wallerfield can buy bread, water, vegetables and lollies.

“I would sell cheaper than everyone else because I know how hard it is for everyone to survive. Every month I’d like to throw a little barbecue to make some money,” he said.

Gittens cleans his mother’s house and does all the cooking – macaroni pie, fried rice, chicken – everything except roti.

“I could cook before I got locked up. I like to eat, and I’d rather eat cooked food than fast food.”

Most of his time is spent alone with his mother.

“Sometimes a brethren comes to check me. I never get bored or lonely. I don’t like being around people very much. I like being by myself. Prison caused that. You know the characters you have around you there, so you keep more to yourself. That just remained with me outside. My spirit is always up.”

Music helps him express his feelings. An American rap tune, Never Surrender, is his favourite song. He listens to reggae, rap, dancehall, R&B and back-in-times music.

“Different times you’re in different moods, so you listen to different songs.”

After his mother eats at 7 pm, Gittens said, “We talk. I have to give her encouragement. She is discouraged, because she never expected to reach this physical state. I have to talk to her to keep her mind off of giving up.

"She never gave up on me. She always tried to keep me calm when I was younger, because she knew I used to lash out when I got vexed. I won’t let her give up.”

Gittens said his angry days are in the past. Now, he stays positive.

“In general, I look at life as an opportunity. What happened to my mom is all part of life. This is a learning experience, because this could happen to other family members, and if it does, I will know what to do for them. Ten years ago, I never would have imagined myself to be the one in the family taking care of my mom.”

He has no books to read, but Gittens said he would like to get back to reading.

“In prison, I read motivational books and novels. I always admired (American rapper) Tupac Shakur’s poems. I could read now if I could get some books – anything motivational or educational.”

His life is not what he expected a year after prison but, Gittens said, “It’s important to be prepared for the unexpected.”

The cost of living weighs heavily on him.

“Groceries and everything are so expensive, and you are working for such a small amount of money. You just have to adapt and blend into society and try your best to make it.

"To be honest, there are many times I am tempted not to stay on the right track.

"I’m not getting pressure from anyone to do the wrong thing. It’s just the pressure from life makes you think about doing anything to survive – even wrong things.

"But I have to remember my mom. If I go down the wrong path, she has nobody. She’s my motivation right now.”

At the end of the day, he watches some television or walks to the back of the house and looks towards the light.

“There’s a whole village behind my house. Sometimes in the day, I bathe in the river, remind myself of my plans and try to stick to them. I tell myself there’s nothing more important than family. My mom is my world. I hope to get the tools I need to do woodworking. I am determined to make it.”

In many ways, his life is moving as slowly as it did in prison.

“The difference is it moves with love and a sense of purpose. There’s no excuse to give up.”

Ricardo Gittens’ mother died on October 10. He was home with her.

“The night before she died, we talked and laughed. She looked like she was getting better. My mom gave me strength before she went. She said, 'Stay out of trouble.’

"I will make it,” said Gittens. “I just have to remember what she always told me: ‘Stay focused.’”

The rebellious teen who grew into a thoughtful, caring man now lives to honour his mother.