Dancehall Artist Seysoh Criticizes Notion Of Rehabilitation In Jamaican Prisons

Dancehall artist Seysoh, previously known as Shokryme, has criticized the notion of rehabilitation in Jamaican prisons following his recent reintegration into society after serving an almost three-year sentence at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre (TSACC) for illegal possession of a firearm.

The Ruff Life deejay, whose real name is Jason Pinnock, claimed that rehabilitation is a sham following his own experiences at TSACC, where he was released in April last year.

“From my perspective, sometimes the teacher will come to teach the prisoner them and dem tun dem back. Your name will write up fi not be inna your cell but fi be out and warder will see that and shun that and still send you inna your cell. No strong rehabilitation no deh deh,” Seysoh told DancehallMag.

“It’s like dem wudda wah fi see we a war more so dem can chop out we head but the youths dem deh pon some different meds now. Before me come road dem did have some training for carpentry and plumbing and all these things and everyday man deh pon all now and nothing, a in a the end when mi a leave dem start a three-week programme, wah you ago teach a man inna three weeks?” he reasoned.

He also revealed that illiteracy abounds in the institution.

“Nuff a the man dem can’t even spell dem name, nuff a the man dem can’t even spell cat, nuff a the man dem dunce,” he shared.

Seysoh said in many circumstances, inmates are ignorant but are willing to learn.

 “You see who go school, our generation, we different, mi see man a 20 a teach man who a all 60 in deh. Many a the young youth dem like we inna dem 20s and 30s haffi teach,” he revealed.

He said prison officials have a bias towards providing traditional academic teaching over hands on skills. 

“Dem like when you go the school way, you see skills way, dem no too follow you up and dem no too push you inna nothing unless you ago all deh deh fi 5, 10 years. You see if you deh deh fi all 2 to 3 years dem will tell you fi go siddung cause dat anno nothing,” he shared.

Since his release, Seysoh has dropped an EP, Change for the Better and has released multiple singles.