THE use of the Internet began to spread over 10 years ago and personal computers were booming, inmates at the Tower Street Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston had no possible access to computers.

Things have changed, however, as the inmates now have a computer laboratory, which was established at the facility in January.

Thanks to the kindness of one corporate citizen and an educational institution, many inmates at Tower Street now have an opportunity to learn about information technology (IT) and to become computer literate.

Commissioner of Corrections Major Richard Reese told JIS News that the idea came from private persons who wanted to put back something into the corrections department, adding that the results have been unprecedented.

“We knew the programme would have been beneficial, but not as beneficial as it is turning out to be. The men are focused, dedicated and willing to learn and although the programme is young, I know it will go a far way in making a positive impact on the lives of these inmates who are involved,” said Major Reese.

The commissioner said that based on the progress of inmates who have been exposed to the computers, he was desirous of increasing the number of those wishing to access the technology.

But the programme is now hard pressed with the issue of space, as 1,696 inmates are housed at Tower Street. When the programme began with 28 computers, only about 12 per cent of the prison population was exposed to the project.

“We had initially planned to involve the literate inmates to see what would happen and then build a programme around that,” the commissioner said, but when demand grew even among illiterate inmates, steps were taken to make the initiative more broad based to include them.

Kevin Wallen, chief executive officer of Destiny Productions, who donated the computers to the facility, was happy with the growth of the programme.

“I feel very compelled to continue this partnership I have had with the correctional facilities,” he said.

Moreover, the response of the inmates is encouraging and I am in the process of vetting more sponsorship, so as to make the programme bigger and better. I believe it is a worthwhile venture that other members of corporate Jamaica should definitely log on to,” Wallen said.

From every indication, the establishment of an Information Technology Centre at the facility was a good move, as eight of the inmates who were released between March and June this year have found meaningful employment in areas of video production, building design and data entry after being exposed to the programme for only two and a half months.

“While the circumstances of these inmates who have been doing so well do not represent what is the reality for others at Tower Street, we believe there is reason for hope for all of them,” Wallen said.

The initiative has also been backed by Harvard University, and Wallen said he intended to approach the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) for assistance in advancing the project.

Professor Charles Neeson, law and faculty co-director of the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School, has been lending assistance to the Students Expressing Truth (SET) programme, which Wallen originally started in the centre, and noted that if it continued, the crime problem in Jamaica would soon become less intense.

“The differentiating factor, with regard to crime and the reformation of convicts, between Jamaica and most first world countries, is the amount of resources available for reformation. I strongly believe that this project, if made to reach greater proportions, inmates can experience capacity building that could help Jamaica realise greater reductions in violent crimes,” Professor Neeson said.

Inmates are currently trained in the use of Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Building Design, Adobe Premier and other graphic designing and basic literacy applications.

Computer access at Tower Street has also been yielding benefits beyond the reformation of convicts, as it has also improved relations between correctional officers and inmates.

“It has made the inmates feel that they have made a big step toward rehabilitation and easiness to find work once they are released. During the four-month training course, officers and inmates are immersed in an environment of mutual interest and understanding. Some inmates speak blissfully of how training at the computer centre has filled up their time,” Campbell told JIS News.

“One trainee has said that the training gave him true satisfaction, as he looks forward to finding related work when he is released,” he added.