American drug suspect released from prison

An American woman who was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for a Cayman Islands cocaine case has been released after serving about five-and-a-half years on her sentence.  

Cindy Jo Hair, now known as Cindy Watson, was released 10 February and sent back to the United States as part of a recommendation by Cayman’s Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The committee was formed as part of the 2009 Cayman Islands Constitution Order and considers applications for reduced sentences for certain inmates who meet guidelines for release.  

Governor Duncan Taylor’s office said any such decision to order the early release of a prisoner under the prerogative of mercy will be published in the Cayman Islands gazette beginning now. Any early releases recommended by the committee and assented to by the governor previously have not been made public, largely because legal requirements and procedures for the committee’s operation have just been finalised.  

The release of Mrs. Watson’s case details is a first for the Cayman Islands. “Any decision by the governor to grant a pardon/respite/remission will be gazetted and therefore be public knowledge,” according to a statement from Mr. Taylor’s office sent to the Caymanian Compass. “The workings of the committee and any rejections of applications for mercy will remain confidential.  

“The rejections are likely to hugely outnumber the former, as pardons will only (be) granted for truly exceptional circumstances.”  

Cindy Watson’s case received more publicity than most drug arrests in the Cayman Islands, partly because it involved a court order to seize drug-related assets in another jurisdiction, and party because of evidence photographs released by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.  

The photos, which were published in the Caymanian Compass in July 2007, showed two of the defendants holding what were identified as bags of cocaine.  

Another photograph showed some ganja plants on a table with a sticker reading: ‘I’d rather go to Hell than to work.’  

In addition to 15-year sentences for brothers Anthony and Thomas Watson, and the 10-year sentence for Cindy Watson, the three were ordered to pay back more than $60,000 to the court as part of a court confiscation order. 

“They got a substantial prison sentence, but they’re also going to lose any of the assets they’ve benefited from crime,” then-Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan said.  

“People shouldn’t be benefiting from the crimes they commit. With this latest case, we’ve proven you cannot profit from crime when you’re dealing drugs in the Cayman Islands.’ 

The Watson brothers remain in lock up on Grand Cayman.  

Mrs. Watson served 5/9ths of her sentence and was therefore, according to Cayman Islands law, eligible to be paroled in January.  

She was successful in an application to the Parole Commissioners’ Board last month.  

Since Mrs. Watson is a foreign national, the remainder of her sentence – that normally would have been served on parole – was remitted and she was deported.  

“Ms Hair’s (referring to Cindy Watson) circumstances and sentence were unique,” the governor’s office statement indicated.  

“Given the impracticality of trying to keep (her) here in order to pay the confiscation order … the governor used his powers pursuant to article 39(1)(b) of the Constitution to grant respite from the confiscation portion of her sentence.  

“This enabled her to be deported from the Cayman Islands immediately.  

The Cayman Islands government has explained to her that it still expects her to pay the fine.”  

Mrs. Watson could not be contacted by press time for comment.