ST MARY, Jamaica – The new National Correctional Services Policy, which addresses matters regarding improvements to State penal institutions and the welfare of incarcerated inmates, will shortly be submitted to Cabinet.

This was revealed by State Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, during a tour of the Richmond Farm Correctional Centre in St Mary on Thursday.

Cuthbert-Flynn said consequent on the policy’s development, “we’re making sure that whatever is happening in the different correctional institutions, that we’re following that [policy]”.

Regarding Richmond Farm, which is a medium-security facility housing inmates nearing the end of their sentences, the state minister said in light of rehabilitation and reintegration being “a very important part of the [policy]… I am pleased with what I have seen [at the institution]”.

“There can be some improvements, of course, when it comes to the rehabilitation, in order to reintegrate our inmates. But I know that those are some of the things we will be working on to make sure that those things become a reality,” she added.

Cuthbert-Flynn observed some of the approximately 80 inmates engaged in tailoring, woodworking, farming, literacy and numeracy initiatives during her visit.

“We want to make sure that when the inmates leave the facility, they are able to go out in the world [and be] viable citizens. This is really my reason for coming to the facility – to make sure that some of those [provisions] are on track for the new policy when that comes into play,” the state minister added.

For his part, newly minted Commissioner of Corrections, Brigadier Radgh Mason, noted that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is embracing and actively participating in the transformation journey.

“Along this journey, the next steps include ensuring that we are compliant with all the regulations pertaining to housing our inmates. We are computerising all the activities and improving the infrastructure,” he said.

The commissioner pointed out that significant investments have been made to construct a multipurpose building at Richmond Farm, “to provide greater space for rehabilitation and training activities, and to also accommodate the work of the staff here”.

With agriculture being the institution’s mainstay, Brigadier Mason said the farms are also being modernised in order to improve the centre’s self-sufficiency.

The DCS will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 25, and wide-ranging activities are being planned to further educate the nation about the entity’s work.

– JIS

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