Checkmate

On this episode, we spoke to Shenae, a criminology researcher, on the issue of crime and policy in Jamaica. Shenae spoke on the effectiveness of policies in Jamaica to combat crime and thus provided context on recent policies by GOJ to combat crime and their effectiveness. She also spoke on the relationship between crime and poverty in Jamaica and the social and economic reform needed in Jamaica to deal with the crime situation. 

Song: Truth & Rights - Protoje ft Mortimer

Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre (RCJCC) was built to accommodate 120 young boys between the ages of 12 to 18 who were deemed to commit an offense under the Child Care and Protection Act. RCJCC is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security. A report from the Independent Commission of Investigations, INDECOM, has revealed troubling practices at the Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre, in St. Catherine, which violate basic human rights. The podcast spoke to psychologist and child rights advocate, Alexis Goffe, to learn more about this report and the issues that are present in our correctional facilities. 

Song: Truth & Rights - Protoje ft Mortimer 

Over the years, the African vervet monkeys have raked havoc in the country of St. Kitts and Nevis. Having been in the country since the 16th century due to slavery and colonisation in the West Indies, there have been numerous policies over the years to try and control the primate population; from shooting the monkeys, to sterilisation them to consuming them in the form of a delicacy called tree mutton. Still, these monkeys have economical value as they contributed to tourism and have been used in medical research field to create vaccination for multiple virus that plague the human race. Nevertheless, these monkeys have created numerous problems on the West Indian country; the most notably is the agricultural sector where farmers have reported that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been lost to the monkeys. This led to the formation of the St. Kitts and Nevis Monkey Task Force whose aim is to control the pest population. The podcast spoke to Dr. Kerry Dore, biological anthropologist; human-primate conflict and ethnoprimatology expert and national co-ordinator of the St. Kitts and Nevis Invasive Species Project and a member of the Task Force, on the efforts of the island to control the monkey population. 

Song: Truth & Right - Protoje ft. Mortimer 

Jamaica is one of four countries in the world where abortion is completely illegal; where based on the Offences Against the People Act of 1864, with special reference to section 72 and 73, any involvement in participating in abortion to any degree, the individual is guilty of a felony and liable to be imprisoned for life, with or without hard labour. Now that the abortion debate is once more brought up in the political sphere, now under the strength of MP Juliet Cuthbert- Flynn, the podcast spoke to Kristina Neil, policy and research officer at the Women Empowerment For Change (WE-Change). WE-Change is one of the leading queer and feminist organisation in the region and has done immense work on advocating for legal abortions in Jamaica. Ms. Neil provide insight on the history of abortion and its legislation in Jamaica, the obstacles that advocates face in getting a change of the 1864 Act, the impact that unsafe abortions have on the most vulnerable in Jamaica and much more

Song: Truth & Right - Protoje ft Mortimer

The National Housing Trust (NHT) was established in the belief that homeownership could be facilitated by a public mortgage body that built homes and subsidised the loans to purchase them. The NHT is funded by a “tax” on formal employment equal to five percent of wages, which is to benefit the most vulnerable in society.  However, based on the 2016 publication by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), it seems that NHT requires far less money than it currently receives and that middle and upper-income contributors have received more mortgages than those in the lower income groups. The podcast spoke to the executive director of CAPRI, Dr. Damien King, on the issues of NHT and some of the Institute's recommendations for a more equal and equitable function of NHT. 

Song: Truth and Rights - Protoje ft Mortimer

Lava began oozing out of La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Dec. 29. Scientists with UWI Seismic Research Center,(SRC) located in Trinidad and Tobago, said there was no explosive eruption. Instead, the magma reaching the surface is forming a growing dome in La Soufrière's crater. The volcano is also releasing gas and steam thus causing the alert level on the northern end of the island of St. Vincent, where La Soufrière sits, been raised to orange. We spoke to the geologist and volcanologist and the director of SRC, Dr. Richard Robertson, on the volcanic activity of La Soufrière. At the time of this interview, Dr. Richard Robertson was in St. Vincent & the Grenadines along with other members of SRC monitoring the volcano.

Song: Truth & Rights - Protoje ft Mortimer

In this episode, we unpack the manifestos of both the JLP & PNP to see what their plans are for the health sector and to manage the COVID - 19 pandemic. 

Song: Emergency - Vybz Kartel

In this episode, we unpack the manifestos of both the JLP & PNP to see what their plans are for gender equality and the femicide happening in the country

Song: Emergency - Vybz Kartel

In this episode, we unpack the manifestos of both the JLP & PNP to see what their plans are for crime, violence, and justice in the country. 

Song: Emergency - Vybz Kartel

In this episode, we unpack the manifestos of both the JLP & PNP to see what their plans are for technological advancement of the country

Song: Emergency - Vybz Kartel