THE Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Cadet Academy was established to give young men structure, discipline, and an opportunity to prepare for their futures. However, for Constable Danrick Bailey and Trainee Constable Devonte Henry, it became a life-changing opportunity — Bailey found a way back into education after three years out of school and Henry got a chance to build on the single Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subject he had when he left high school.

Their routes to the academy were different, but both men said the environment gave them something they had been missing: the structure to take their education seriously and the discipline to begin shaping their lives in a different direction.

For Bailey, who now serves in the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Specialised Operations Division, the break in his education came in March 2020, when Garvey Maceo High School, like schools across Jamaica, discontinued face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to online learning.

While many other students adapted to the new reality of virtual classrooms and online lessons, Bailey’s connection with school was effectively severed.

HENRY…the teachers make sure that assignments are done, and they’re done correctly to the standard

“So I never had the opportunity to do any subjects and so forth, and I was out of school for three years, and in 2023 I found out about the Cadet Academy and saw it as a golden chance to go back into the classroom,” he told the Jamaica Observer last Tuesday.

Bailey started at the academy in September 2023 after going through an interview, physical assessment, and medical examination. During his time there, he completed six subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, successfully passing five of them.

He credited that success to the very different learning environment he encountered at the academy.

“At the academy the teachers and instructors are more focused on you, and they help to build you. So they even have study sessions…so after you go to school throughout the day and then at night, it’s mandatory to do some study sessions on whatever topic or subject you did not fully understand throughout the day,” he noted.

For Bailey, the structure went beyond academics.

Drills, defensive tactics, and physical training became part of his daily routine, helping him develop discipline and a stronger work ethic.

That renewed focus eventually opened the door to the career he now has.

Bailey joined the JCF in January 2025 at 18 after entering the Cadet Academy at 16. He said beginning work at such a young age has allowed him to provide for himself and his family while developing his character.

Henry’s journey was different, but led him to a similar destination.

When he left Ascot High School, he had only one CSEC subject. He had initially sat examinations for two subjects and passed building technology but failed history.

The opportunity to change that came while he was still at school.

At 17, Henry saw an Instagram Live featuring the Cadet Academy. Principal of the academy, Deputy Superintendent of Police Tanecia Johnson, who was speaking about the programme at the time, explained the requirements, prompting him to make contact and begin the application process.

The prospect of a different kind of school appealed to him. Henry said he was attracted by the discipline, physical activities, and drills he heard about during the livestream. More importantly, he saw the academy as something he could do after leaving high school.

He entered the academy on August 31, 2023 with his one CSEC subject, and by the time he completed the programme, he’d passed five CSEC subjects, as well as mathematics and English through City & Guilds, bringing his total to seven.

“I was so excited that I passed these subjects, because I left high school with one subject, and the Cadet Academy changed my life from then, and it gives me the opportunity to join the JCF,” he expressed.

The difference, Henry said, was visible in his everyday behaviour.

“While attending the Cadet Academy, I attended all of my classes; I did all my assignments. The teachers make sure that assignments are done, and they’re done correctly to the standard. While in high school, I did not normally go to class. I normally went to school late, like 10, 11 o’clock in the daytime, and at the academy, we wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning to do our physical activities, our drills, and there I learned how to press my uniform properly, I learned how to dress properly, and I learned to groom myself properly,” Henry noted.

He also expressed that the significance of the academy reaches beyond improved grades.

He grew up without his mother and father and spent part of his childhood in State care. In 2024, while he was going through the process of entering the academy, he was accepted into a foster home with a foster mother, father, sister, and brother.

He said the experience of growing up in State care was difficult, describing it as a period marked by extreme challenges.

“Well, it’s a lot of trauma and discomfort and all these things, but I get over it and push myself to become a better person in life,” he said.

The support he received during the transition also helped him remain focused on his education. After he told Johnson that he had passed one of the two CSEC subjects he had done before entering the academy, she assured him that he would still be accepted into the programme.

Henry said that encouragement motivated him to work hard once he got there.

His progress eventually took him into the JCF, as he joined the force on November 9, 2025, at 18, and is now preparing to graduate as a constable in October.