KINGSTON, Jamaica — A correctional officer facing dismissal from the public service following a criminal conviction says he has gone months without a salary while awaiting the outcome of his appeal, leaving him in financial hardship and worried about his deteriorating health.

The officer, who requested anonymity, told Observer Online that his troubles began after he was charged in July 2025 in connection with a contraband matter at a correctional institution.

He was initially charged with introducing prohibited items into a penal institution. However, he said two additional charges, concealment of prohibited items and possession of ganja, were added when his matter came up for trial in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

According to the officer, his attorney advised him to accept a plea deal under which he pleaded guilty to possession of ganja while the other two charges were dropped.

Expecting to receive a fine, the officer said he was instead handed a two-year suspended sentence.

“She said because I am an officer, she was going to hold me to a higher standard,” he recalled of the presiding judge.

Documents seen by Observer Online show that following the conviction, the Public Service Commission recommended that the officer be dismissed under Regulation 35 of the Public Service Regulations, 1961.

In a letter dated October 30, 2025, the governor-general’s secretary and clerk to the Privy Council informed him that the recommendation for dismissal took effect on July 10, 2025, the date of his conviction. He was also advised that he had 14 days to apply for the matter to be referred to the Privy Council before any final decision was made.

The officer said he returned to work on July 14, 2025, but was instructed by a superintendent to remain off duty pending further instructions. He said no formal interdiction or suspension letter was issued at the time and that he continued receiving his full salary between July and December.

A subsequent letter from the Department of Correctional Services, dated January 12, 2026, advised that the Public Service Commission had recommended his summary dismissal based on his conviction and alleged breaches of Regulations 35 and 36.

And by the end of that month, the correctional officer said he was removed from payroll despite not receiving a suspension letter.

“My case is appealing and they have taken me off payroll and stopped my pay. They are not even paying my loans anymore, putting me in bad credit,” he said.

The officer said he has spent months seeking answers from the Department of Correctional Services, his union and the Ministry of Labour, but has been unable to get any help or answer.

The financial strain, he said, has also taken a toll on his family. His four-year-old daughter is currently living in a children’s home after he confided in a neighbour about his struggles and his efforts to secure help for her.

According to the officer, the matter spread throughout the community and eventually reached the police. He said cops escorted him to the police station, where a report was filed before his daughter was placed in state care.

As he awaits the outcome of his appeal, the officer said he is trying to rebuild his life and find alternative employment. However, mounting financial pressures, coupled with declining mental and physical health caused in part by inadequate nutrition, have made it increasingly difficult.

“I’m trying to take up the pieces and find another job in the meantime, but my health is declining right now and the lack of funds makes it difficult for me to move around,” he said.

Observer Online contacted the Department of Correctional Services for clarification on its policy governing officers who are suspended or facing dismissal. Up to publication time, no response had been received.