Voices from inside, TT

alongside other incarcerated men who have found voice in writing poetry while on remand or serving long sentences.

two of them already with collections to their names. Also included in the programme are poems published in Wishing for Wings, the account of the YTC inmates studying English for CXC under author Debbie Jacob. The prison band Outfit International will provide the music. Viewers can follow the event as it happens by going to facebook. com/bocaslitfest The special event, aimed at giving voice to the voiceless, faceless people who live in prisons, also highlights the redemptive power of the arts and the benefits of a humane approach to justice that aims to repair instead of enact revenge. Soca icon Machel Montano believes, “self-expression through the written and spoken word can be both therapeutic and transformative. It is an honour to join Bocas and Dr Dreisinger and support this powerful initiative, alongside Kees and Anya. I look forward to lending my voice to this platform showcasing the voices that too often go unheard.” Dr Dreisinger points out, “The issues of mass incarceration and prisons as a response to crime are at the forefront of discourse right now.

in the US and around the world.” Voices From Inside TT is the second of a global series of Facebook live-streamed readings from inside prisons, highlighting the plight of those behind bars. The first one was held in Pennsylvania’s Graterford Correctional Facility, where readers included celebrities such as rappers Prodigy and Freeway and actor Malik Yoba. Crime and punishment is the subject of one of the four hard-hitting Human Rights panel discussions in the 2017 NGC Bocas Lit Fest at the National Library. On April 30, at 11 am.

authors Baz Dreisinger and Debbie Jacob will join Justice Gillian Lucky and Professor Ramesh Deosaran to explore the thorny issue of TT ’s criminal justice system.

chaired by Francesca Hawkins. The NGC Bocas Lit Fest runs from April 26- 30 at the National Library and Old Fire Station and venues around the capital. See www.bocaslitfet. com for a full programme.