Prisons in Jamaica
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Twelve correctional institutions in Jamaica[1] are operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security.
Contents |
[edit] Institutions
All external links in this section are to WikiMapia.
- Seven adult correctional centers:
- Maximum security:
- Tower Street, formerly the General Penitentiary, in Kingston. It was built to accommodate 650 inmates[2] but has accommodated over 1700 on occasions[3].
- Saint Catherine, formerly the Saint Catherine District Prison, in Spanish Town. It was built to accommodate 850 inmates[2] but has accommodated over 1300 on occasions[3]. Contains the only death-row on the island[4].
- South Camp (also known as the Gun Court prison) opened in 1974 as a combined court and prison to combat the increase in violent crimes involving firearms. A single resident magistrate can issue prison sentences to those convicted of illegal possession of firearms or ammunition[5]. Has accommodated over 330 inmates on occasions[3].
- Fort Augusta, the island's only prison for women[6]. It was built to accommodate 250 inmates[2] but has accommodated over 280 on occasions[3][2]. It has been known to run short of food[7].
- Medium security
- Tamarind Farm. Has accommodated over 275 inmates on occasions[3].
- Richmond Farm houses up to 235 first offenders serving long-term sentences[3]. It once incorporated a large banana farm, which was later destroyed. As of 2006, an attempt was under way regenerate the farm with crops including bananas, corn, calaloo, string beans and cucumber[8]. Its most famous former inmate is probably Bunny Wailer who spent 14 months there in 1967/8[9].
- Open:
- New Broughton Sunset Correctional Centre (also known as the Old Man's Prison) was built in 1916 and rebuilt in 2005 following severe damage by Hurricane Ivan the previous year. It houses up to 80 low risk and aging inmates in open dormitories with little or no fencing and 30 warders[10][3].
- Maximum security:
- Three juvenile correctional centres[1][11][12]:
- Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre. Medium security with a capacity of 120[13].
- Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre (for girls), Alexandria, St. Ann. Medium security with a capacity of 40[13].
- Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre, Bamboo, St. Ann. High security with a capacity of 98[13].
- Two remand centres[1][11]:
- St. Andrew Juvenile Remand Centre, Stony Hill, St. Andrew. High security with a capacity of 48[13].
- Horizon Adult Remand Centre. Opened 2002, capacity 1026[14].
[edit] Inmate statistics
Since 2004, the Department of Correctional Services has published comprehensive annual statistics at http://www.dcsj.net/p/stats.htm (note the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheets).
| Adult inmate population at year end | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007-Q1 |
| Tower Street | 1355 | 1502 | 1621 | 1740 | 1642 | 1628 | 1691 | 1665 |
| Saint Catherine | 1129 | 1147 | 1143 | 1289 | 1338 | 1258 | 1278 | 1324 |
| South Camp | 240 | 233 | 231 | 239 | 242 | 240 | 206 | 243 |
| Fort Augusta | 218 | 265 | 303 | 339 | 270 | 175 | 185 | 200 |
| Richmond Farm | 215 | 203 | 212 | 220 | 214 | 226 | 167 | 137 |
| Tamarind Farm | 242 | 234 | 214 | 154 | 228 | 223 | 278 | 299 |
| New Broughton | 26 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 28 | 21 |
| Total | 3425 | 3747 | 3998 | 3948 | 3758 | 3833 | 3889 | 3889 |
| Per 100,000 population | 132 | 138 | 143 | 152 | 149 | 142 | 144 | ~144 |
[edit] Historic prisons
The Old Jail in Saint Ann's Bay is said to be the very first prison in Jamaica and many slaves died there[15].
Saint Jago Women's Centre[16] must have been closed as Fort Augusta is now the only female prison.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b c Custodial Services, Department Of Correctional Services, c2007.
- ^ a b c d Makeshift weapons increasing prison deaths, Tyrone Reid, Jamaica Gleaner, 2004-02-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g Comparison of daily averages* over a 10 year period (1997-2006) by institution and sex, Department Of Correctional Services, 2007.
- ^ [Visit to the] Independent Council for Human Rights, Jamaica October 2003 - March 2004, Karen Alderman, BPP Law School (LPC), Centre for Capital Punishment Studies, University of Westminster, c2004.
- ^ Jamaica National Security - The Criminal Justice System, Photius Coutsoukis, 2005.
- ^ Fort Augusta, Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
- ^ Prisoners Abroad News Volume 16 Issue 2 Summer 2005, Jamaica, Page 5-6.
- ^ COSPROD Preparing Inmates to Lead Productive Lives, Ingrid Brown, JIS, 2006-01-23.
- ^ Bunny Wailer Biography.
- ^ New Broughton Sunset prison facility reopens, Angelo Laurence, Jamaica Gleaner, 2005-12-30.
- ^ a b http://www.jard.gov.jm/records/content/view/53/2/ Highlights of Records Management Activities April – September 2006, Jamaica Archives and Records Department.
- ^ Juvenile Correctional Centres, Department of Correctional Services.
- ^ a b c d Project 2005, Sashane McDonald, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen.
- ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003 - Jamaica, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, US Department of State, 2004-02-25.
- ^ Jamaican Prisons, Irie Jamaica Blogspot.
- ^ Jamaican Prisons, Foreign Prisoner Support Service.
