A recent blog I wrote entitled, “At-Risk Young Men in the Bahamas: An Endangered Species?” led me to conduct an interview of a young male, John (not his real name), who committed manslaughter at the age of 18. The purpose of the interview was to shed further light on the issue of youth crime in The Bahamas. John grew up in Englerston, a low-income area of the Bahamas where … [Read more...] about From Death Row to Life: An Interview of an Ex-Offender
violence
Bridgetown: Preserving a Safe Haven
White sandy beaches, a tropical climate, and a vibrant culture make Barbados a top vacation destination, with U.S. News ranking it #4 of their top 16 “Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean.” But imagine reading the following headline in the Travel Section of your daily newspaper as you plan your itinerary for an upcoming Caribbean vacation: “Shocking attack in ‘safe’ … [Read more...] about Bridgetown: Preserving a Safe Haven
At-Risk Young Men in the Bahamas: An Endangered Species?
When I was 14 years old, I stood at my window and watched as a young man ran for his life and another young man calmly stood, aimed and shot him to death. They were both under the age of 25. The following year, my best friend, 15 years old, barely made it to his front door before he collapsed. He had stab wounds over his entire body. In that same year, my brother and I … [Read more...] about At-Risk Young Men in the Bahamas: An Endangered Species?
How do you measure the value of a dream?
If you are like me where you only visit your hometown a few times per year then you may understand when I say “visiting my hometown is filled with moments being relived through deep reflections that evoke varying emotions.” Well, last summer, on one of those rare trips, I met up with a childhood friend and immediately my mind started jogging down memory lane. My friend … [Read more...] about How do you measure the value of a dream?
Reducing Community Violence Starts at Home
Earlier this month I attended “Crime and Violence in The Bahamas: Data-Driven Policies for Effective Citizen Security”, a workshop jointly hosted by the IDB and the Government of The Bahamas. The purpose of the workshop was to learn about evidence-based approaches to violence reduction that have been successful elsewhere, and consider how stakeholders in The Bahamas can … [Read more...] about Reducing Community Violence Starts at Home