The Making Of A Jamaican Don

Jamaican dons see themselves as leaders, protectors, and nearly God-like figures. They see themselves as bigger than even the Prime Minister; with the resources they have, they are not afraid of anyone. In The Making of a Jamaican Don, author Clifton Cameron tells the story of these Jamaican donstheir history, and the role they play in the governing of the Caribbean country. This story is told through the eyes of Spanner and Trinity, two youths from rural Jamaica who leave their homes in Kitson Town and travel to Kingston for a better life. But here, their lives change in ways they could not have imagined. They find themselves embroiled in politics and the world of donship, eventually spending time in Jamaicas notorious General Penitentiary Prison. A true account of tragedy and death, The Making of a Jamaican Don highlights the links between dons, guns, drugs, police, politicians, public officials, and corruption.

“In these kaleidoscopic stories of Jamaica and its diaspora we hear many voices at once. All of them convince and sing. All of them shine.”—Zadie Smith An O: The Oprah Magazine “Top 15 Best of the Year” • A Well-Read Black Girl Pick Tenderness and cruelty, loyalty and betrayal, ambition and regret—Alexia Arthurs navigates these tensions to extraordinary effect in her debut collection about Jamaican immigrants and their families back home. Sweeping from close-knit island communities to the streets of New York City and midwestern university towns, these eleven stories form a portrait of a nation, a people, and a way of life. In “Light-Skinned Girls and Kelly Rowlands,” an NYU student befriends a fellow Jamaican whose privileged West Coast upbringing has blinded her to the hard realities of race. In “Mash Up Love,” a twin’s chance sighting of his estranged brother—the prodigal son of the family—stirs up unresolved feelings of resentment. In “Bad Behavior,” a couple leave their wild teenage daughter with her grandmother in Jamaica, hoping the old ways will straighten her out. In “Mermaid River,” a Jamaican teenage boy is reunited with his mother in New York after eight years apart. In “The Ghost of Jia Yi,” a recently murdered student haunts a despairing Jamaican athlete recruited to an Iowa college. And in “Shirley from a Small Place,” a world-famous pop star retreats to her mother’s big new house in Jamaica, which still holds the power to restore something vital. Alexia Arthurs emerges in this vibrant, lyrical, intimate collection as one of fiction’s most dynamic and essential authors. Praise for How to Love a Jamaican “A sublime short-story collection from newcomer Alexia Arthurs that explores, through various characters, a specific strand of the immigrant experience.”—Entertainment Weekly “With its singular mix of psychological precision and sun-kissed lyricism, this dazzling debut marks the emergence of a knockout new voice.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “Gorgeous, tender, heartbreaking stories . . . Arthurs is a witty, perceptive, and generous writer, and this is a book that will last.”—Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties “Vivid and exciting . . . every story rings beautifully true.”—Marie Claire

This book provides a detailed and practical exploration of criminal recidivism and social reintegration in Jamaica. It uses various methods to seek the authentic voices of inmates, ex-prisoners, deported migrants and practitioners, drawing on an original study to examine factors that might help ex-prisoners more successfully transition from a prison environment to life within the community. Leslie also raises important questions about the Jamaican state’s capacity to meet the needs of inmates, particularly as a large number of its citizens are subject to forced repatriation to their homeland by overseas jurisdictions due to their offending. Recidivism in the Caribbean provides a unique insight into institutional and community life in a post-colonial society, whilst linking practices theories of offender management. It will particularly appeal to criminologists and sociologists interested in tertiary crime prevention but also those interested in correctional policy and practice, punishment and deviance.

Teen gangs are a hot issue in the United States. This volume shows the international scope of the phenomenon today. Gang activity in 14 countries, including the United States, is discussed within the larger framework of social and economic conditions. Each chapter explains the nature of the gang activity in that country; touches on the causes, such as poverty, marginalization, and self-identity problems; and heavily emphasizes the responses, including education and community-based intervention. Students and researchers will find a wealth of current information on teen gangs to mine and use for comparisons.

In this book, Donna captivates the culture, life, and essence of what living life in Jamaica is like. Through her journey of spiritual healing, she meets some amazing individuals who help her find peace through her grieving. I highly recommend this book as it captures your attention and keeps the audience engaged through personal experiences. Dr. Dulce Obregon, PT, DPT, ACSM CPT

This book is about the effect of U.S. Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA of 1996) and criminal deportation to Jamaica; the issues associated with 'deportees' or deported migrants resettlement and re-integration, and increased crime and violence in Jamaica which several 'high-ranking' police officers and policy-makers claimed deportees are responsible for. It also represents a dedicated attempt to bridge both lines of inquiry between increased criminal deportation and increased crime and violence in Jamaica over a period of time, wherein criminal deportees are constantly being blamed for the high murder rate and alarming crime figures in the country, placing deported migrants at a severe disadvantage. Based on six years of studies and notes-taking, I find that there are two types of deported migrants and over six different categories of us and I write in details about the categories. Some people are unreformed or dangerous and are involved in criminal activities based on a variety of factors, while the majority are law abiding citizens. Quite a few, including myself have tertiary degrees, meaningful skills, and 'first world' experiences that are in demand thus we can contribute to the society in positive ways, but we are highly marginalized. And the Government especially, and some uninformed people in the society discriminate against deported migrants (deportees) for arcane reasons. I write about the issues and challenges that some deported migrants have to deal with, the problems that some 'unreformed' or desperate ones have caused, the reasons why re-integration and meaningful support is necessary, how I was abducted or unlawfully arrested by the police and wrongfully prosecuted and unlawfully convicted by a state prosecutor, and how I was sentenced to an illegal term of imprisonment by a presiding judge and then wrongfully or inadvertently deported to Jamaica by the ICE even though I am a veteran of the US Army with a service-connected injury. The IIRIRA of 1996 is a reform of laws that are in need of careful revision in the interest of the 'American Justice' and fairness to non-US citizens who are permanent residents of the United States. A 'must read' edition.

This travel guide walks with the adventurous traveler to the heart of Jamaica, to the miles of sand beaches, to the rugged Blue Mountains, to the country villages that provide a peek at the real Jamaica. The authors focus on the adventures this popular Caribbean island has to offer: scuba diving along coral reefs, biking mountain trails, deep sea fishing, parasailing, windsurfing, horseback riding, and other adventures that range from mild to wild. Special sections include a look at Jamaica's Meet the People program, home visits, local nightspots, festivals, and more. Maps and photos enliven the down-to-earth text. [The authors] are known for their attention to details. Chicago Daily Herald. Print edition is 360 pages.