76-Year-Old Jamaican Awards $120 Million After Spending 50 Years In Prison Without Trial

Jamaica’s Supreme Court has awarded $120 million in damages to 76-year-old George Williams, a man who spent five decades in prison without ever standing trial. The decision marks one of the most significant human rights judgments in the country’s recent history.

Mr. Williams was arrested in 1970 at the age of 20 in connection with a murder charge. Authorities at the time deemed him mentally unfit to stand trial. However, rather than receiving appropriate treatment or periodic legal review, he was detained indefinitely at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre—effectively forgotten by the system. Astonishingly, no trial was ever conducted, and no hearings were held for 42 of the 50 years he spent incarcerated.

Justice Sonya Wint Blair, delivering the ruling, described the case as a grave violation of Mr. Williams’ constitutional rights. The Court awarded $42 million in vindicatory damages, recognizing the state’s failure to uphold his fundamental rights, and an additional $78 million in compensatory damages for the emotional, physical, and psychological toll he endured over the five decades of wrongful incarceration.

The judgment follows years of advocacy led by the human rights organization Stand Up for Jamaica, which brought Mr. Williams’ plight to public attention. Their intervention eventually led to his release in 2020.

While the ruling has been welcomed as a long-overdue form of justice, advocates have expressed mixed feelings. Many regard the compensation as insufficient given the magnitude of the injustice suffered. “It’s a slap in the face, but better than nothing,” one advocate remarked, underscoring the irreplaceable loss of Mr. Williams’ freedom, youth, and peace of mind.

Since his release, Mr. Williams has been attempting to reintegrate into society and reclaim a sense of normalcy—an uphill journey after half a century behind bars. His story now stands as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for systemic reform within the criminal justice and mental health systems in Jamaica and beyond.

Source: NYDJLive.com