Jamaica's Praedial Larceny/Farm Theft &Criminology. The Negative Effects on the Agricultural Sector.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 1

PRAEDIAL LARCENY and Criminology R.A.Blake M.A.C.J -Criminologist, Social Scientist from CaSSSociety & a Farmer.

An overview for UAFAJ for Praedial Larceny [P.L] first series panel discussion.

What is written below was not all mentioned throughout, and is not all the recommendations, objectives and initiatives from CaSS Society.

The webinar on 27/04/22, titled The Negative Effect of Farm Theft on the Jamaican Agricultural Sector. Few points listed here were mentioned, as I only had 5 minute, so one attempted to mention a few of these points during the time allocated.

The cause of P.L can assist in the identifying and handling of the problems, the case and effect needs to be understood. Restitutions not only can be monetary values assigned by the courts. It can be restitutions in the sense of rehabilitation or/and deterrence.

Many states the police and the criminal justice system is not taking this crime as important as theft and murder. So I am creating this program to assist the Police, Courts and the Criminal Justice system on a whole.

P.L effects not only the farmers and their families, it IMPACTS the community at large [and wider islandwide, if applicable]. For example Mr. Oral supplies produce and livestock, the higglers, vendors who travel across the island to sell and other farmers who buy from Mr.Oral, won’t be able to do so now.

SO further impacting the business standpoint, it also messes with the reputation of said farmers and their farm, because people may be concerned everytime they buy something from Mr. Oral, there is a problem. So we can identify a way that, those who steal from Mr. Oral, based on the degree of the larceny will be assigned a rehabilitation program and deterrence in either the same offending area, or, to Miss O’Connor-Dennie farm to work in another community, city or parish

R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 2

Deterrence involves for those who are repeat offenders or those who show no or little remorse or those on a higher degree of larcenism the community knows and there is a shame integration approach.

WHY ?

Many persons offending and reoffending do so due to peer pressure and family ties, this applies to many crimes, not just P.L . So, my program recommends relocation [ this relocation is and can also be classified as a punishment, due the fact they are NOT in their area.]. FOR OTHERS it is or can R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 3

be a rehabilitation step, as it allows them to not be in the community, especially when they were peer pressured or family ties thrown into criminality .

It allows for the farmers to have their loss paid off, the expense that is associated with the loss of the goat or the stealing of the whole cabbage patch or the noni raid. SO instead of having to hire persons to regrow, the same person or persons will be working to pay off the loss that the farmers incur.

If it's a 15 years old stealing fruits to feed his siblings. Or, took some potatoes to help daddy cook, or dug up some suckers to give grampy to plants.

We can teach and assist these persons with apprenticeship, training or even giving them something to do. Teaching them to grow their own, not only assisting their family, or an effort in reducing future criminal activities from this person, IT ALLOWS these young people to have pride in what they do and starting to understand the value of work and loss.

YEP, THE 36 YEAR OLD who does the same to feed his or her children, because he or she doesn't have enough to cover school, bills and feeding the children today, so they went and took some ackee.

Many are larcenist based on socio-economic status, lack of employment and what I classified as ‘Self entitled approach’©. These are the persons’ who feel entitled to your crops, your animals and your fresh fish pond, so they make it their career path. Other causes not as majorly identified by society, as Demographics and Economic status combine is one of the MAIN contributive factors.

E.g., A Middle class young person from rural Trelawny, does not necessarily have the same living as a young person in the same community, but from a lower socio-economic status. Not to say the middle class youth may not commit crime, as those from lower class, however, the person from the poor background, more have a REASON to commit larceny.

They will commit the most basic of Larceny like go over to Mr. Palmer house and pick his plums…do you think they need the same punishment as the MIDDLE CLASS young man, who has the money to buy the plum and sell, but he or she goes over to Mr. Buchannan and ‘raid him plum tree’

R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 4

Rehabilitation and Deterrence Programs for Praedial Larcenists ©. Below are just a small tidbits and an overview.

● The Act of Larceny involves both livestock, fisheries and . Each sector of farming carries their own individual and collective cost, so each has to be treated independent of each other, but can possess enough ecological validity to be applicable to one another. ● Livestock involves animals and the most stolen animals are GOATS and COWS [ the PLU Officer can confirm this with me]. Collectively these are valued highly in comparison to donkeys, ducks, rabbits, sheeps. ●

So their rehabilitative process varies to those who steal pumpkins, raid a potato farm or even those who pick mango, tamarind or even plums from one's tree.

● Many do not classified this as P.L , however it is, so 90% of us are Praedial Larcenist, as many times we take from trees and grounds that doesn’t belong to us [ and no, it’s not because Miss Jones seh you can take some ackee sometimes or Mr. George make you climb the jelly tree]. There are instances that we did not seek permission but we took. ● ● Does that mean, we should be treated the same criminally, civilly and in response to the Rehabilitative and Deterrence Initiatives, as the 40 year old goat thieves who made it into a career path.

● According to the ACT, each police station is assigned an Agricultural Warden Demographic of Offenders Could assist in the Rehabilitation Process ➢ 19 GEOGRAPHIC divisions in Jamaica, and according to the act, each of them have an agriculture warden. Each warden would work will be the the ‘middle’ person per say between the rehabilitation and deterrence ➢ The person will work with CaSS Society who will be attempting to implement some schemes and programs that will and can collaborate with MOA, JCF, The farmers, Farmers Association and whomever the farmer is working for R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 5

When there are butchers and fisher persons who are collaborating with known larcenists or themselves a larcenist [ which includes lobster and conch catching outside of the season], are they technically classified as larcenists?

THEY WILL BE TREATED AT the highest level of the rehabilitation, which may include incarceration for a length of time.

ONE MUST also identify the cause of it, as many butchers and fisher persons, are ‘taxed’ by unscrupulous persons within and some are in FEAR of their life, so that leads them into criminality irrespective if they wanted to do so or not.

One must be aware of Biased Policing in regards to Praedial Larceny, so in regards to implementation we have to consider these effects.

This is just a sneak overview of the thoughts being put in place and examples of rehabilitation and deterrence programs or initiatives from my program being created by the Criminology and Social Sciences Society [CaSS.Society/CaSSSociety]. I do not want to say much, for my ideas and plans to be plagiarized and adopted with no credit being given.

Who is CaSSSociety?

Criminology and Social Sciences Society [of Jamaica and the Caribbean].

A community for Social Scientists across the Caribbean. E.g; Criminologist, Psychologist, Sociologist, Social Worker, Public Policy & Admin.

Those who are and in the field of, with programs and degrees in: Criminal Justice, Anthropology, Risk Assessment and Conflict Resolutions.

Criminal Psychologist,amongst various other views.

Aim is to collectively create policies, programs, practices,etc for the betterment of the Criminal Justice R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.

R.A.Blake. M.A.C.J [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSS.Society & a Farmer and member of UAFAJ 6

System and the Criminologica/Criminal Psychology approach to crime and violence in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Who is UAFAJ that allowed me to present a small overview of my rehabilitative , Deterrent and Reinforcement plan for Praedial Larceny The United Agriculturist and Farmers Association of Jamaica Limited (UAFAJ) is an association where persons with specific skills, knowledge, expertise, and experience meet to help shape policies in agriculture. UAFAJ was registered as a charitable organization and was listed on the Companies of Jamaica website on March 18, 2022.

Vision, Mission and Objectives Vision Statement: To transform the Jamaican Agricultural Sector to Global Competitiveness and Resilience. Mission Statement: Building a strong sector underpinned by trust, research, and innovation through the utilization of a healthy synergy of industry players all performing on an open platform.

Objectives: The objects for which the UAFAJ is established are to: develop an active network that promotes and develops the Agriculture industry by assisting Agriculturist, Farmers and Agriculture Support groups in the use of efficient and modern methods of Agriculture and maintenance of proper standards for the industry; to advance the education of the public on the importance of agriculture to the environment by strengthening research mechanisms and encouraging research implementation for food security and resilience R.A.Blake [MissMona]-Criminologist, Social Scientist from #@CaSSSociety & a Farmer, amongst many other titles.