KINGSTON, Jamaica — Initiatives designed to improve the rehabilitation of inmates in correctional facilities are yielding fruit, says Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.

Cuthbert-Flynn said the inmates are having educational accomplishments which should be seen as big wins.

“I’m really happy that there are big wins. There are some good things that are happening in our correctional facilities. We’re seeing persons graduate from university, we had eight inmates who actually graduated, along with officers, taking not just CXC subjects but also getting associate degrees from university,” the state minister said.

She also highlighted the fact that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is utilising inmates with skills to provide public service.

“There are really good painters and persons with different skills in our correctional facilities, and we’re trying to make sure that we bring those skills out. We have inmates cutting trees and doing different things. We’re taking them outdoors,” she indicated.

“We do have barbering on the inside, and we’re doing farming. We just replaced about 10 sewing machines that were not operable,” she added.

Notwithstanding the fact that there is the need for a new correctional facility, Cuthbert-Flynn said the Government is improving the current ones to enhance the rehabilitation of inmates.

“We are aware and cognisant that we do need new facilities, and the Government is working on building out a new correctional facility. In the meantime, what we’re trying to do is to make sure that we are refurbishing what we can refurbish,” she said.

“We know that these facilities were built in the 1700s and 1800s. St Catherine and Tower Street, they were both built in the 1700s and Tower Street in the 1800s. We refurbish, so we can properly rehabilitate the inmates. If we don’t do some of those things, it will come to nought, and so the rehabilitation process continues,” Cuthbert-Flynn said.

— JIS