Former President of the Bahamas Christian Council and Pastor Emeritus at New Covenant Baptist Church, Bishop Simeon Hall is calling for the records of juveniles to be expunged for sealing crimes once they have shown a change in their adulthood.
“It is imperative that we find and enforce a consistent process, by which to expunge or seal certain categories of crimes committed by young people to assist in the social liberation.
“Juvenile crimes like stealing, fighting, truancy and experimenting with marijuana should all be expunged for the record of our younger generation,” Bishop Hall said.
Speaking with the Journal’s reporter yesterday, the outspoken clergyman said that in order for young persons to lead a productive life after their ‘mistakes,’ there must be a way to get them back on their feet.
“All we are saying is that make it possible for a young man, who went astray, when he was in his teens to make it possible for him to get back on his feet by removing the criminal record regardless of what it was for.
“Minor crimes he should be freed from like stealing, and even those who take a little bit of marijuana and got caught with it.
“Now, if it is something where it’s murder, if it is something with quantities of drugs, then that’s not what we are talking about. I am talking about youthful crimes, petty crimes that should be expunged.
“I’m saying that we should try to redeem these young people and put them back on their feet. They can’t get a job, they can’t go to Miami, and so we need to redeem them,” Bishop Hall said.
As to the process that can begin their redemption, Bishop Hall suggested a committee, through the necessary government agencies, be formed to lay out requirements to expunge ‘not so serious’ juvenile criminal records.
“What we are saying is that it must be sponsored by the legal authorities, where we can move forward in redeeming some of our young people who have fallen through the cracks.
“Some national committee, perhaps, could be held or some agency of government could move forward with this.
“If there were a national committee they could decide all the criteria by which something like this would happen,” Bishop Hall said.
“All I’m saying as a pastor is that some young men cannot shed the things they’ve done in their teenage years,” he said.
In a press statement, Bishop Hall said that he is not for decriminalizing marijuana. However, he indicated that he is in support of expunging record of persons who were found guilty of experimenting with marijuana.
He also said that “too many young Bahamian youth are saddled with records of childish acts done” these youthful crimes he said are still “hanging over their heads”.