ST MARY, Jamaica — Member of Parliament for St Mary South Eastern Christopher Brown is expressing deep concern following reports of a fatal incident involving detainees at the Annotto Bay Police Station lock-up, urging authorities to address what he described as a “long-standing issue of overcrowding” at the facility.

In a statement on Saturday, Brown said that while he awaits official confirmation and a full briefing from the relevant authorities, any loss of life in state custody is “alarming and must be urgently addressed”.

According to Brown, the Annotto Bay lock-up has faced chronic overcrowding for years, noting that the facility was designed to hold 12 detainees, but recent updates indicate it has been housing as many as 50 people, nearly five times its intended capacity.

“These conditions are unsafe, unsanitary and unacceptable,” Brown said, adding that such overcrowding heightens the risk of conflict and compromises the safety of both detainees and police officers.

He is therefore calling for a full and immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported death, with regular communication to the public; urgent measures to ease overcrowding at the Annotto Bay lock-up and a review of current detainee housing practices; and a clear improvement plan from the authorities to prevent similar incidents and restore safe conditions at the facility.

Brown also pressed the Ministry of National Security to take a broader look at policing infrastructure in the constituency. He highlighted the Belfield Police Station, which he described as being in “a state of total disrepair”, and raised additional concerns about the condition of the Richmond Police Station, including its lock-up.

He called for the ministry to allocate attention and resources to ensure both detainees and police personnel can operate in safe, humane environments.

READ: St Mary inmate dies in police custody; IPROB and Indecom launch investigations