KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP):
JAMAICA'S PRISON commissioner said on Tuesday he's open to the idea of building a prison on the Caribbean island to house Jamaicans convicted of crimes in Britain.
Local British officials and non-government groups suggested the plan earlier this month, saying the large number of Jamaicans convicted on drug offences were overburdening Britain's prison system.
"It is something that we could look at," Commissioner of Corrections Richard Reese said.
While stressing there had been no formal contact on the plan between the two countries, Reese said Jamaica could charge a fee to house the prisoners as is done in several U.S. states.
"There's a possibility that the country could benefit by having additional accommodation (for prisoners) and revenue," he said.
Officials at the British High Commission in Kingston were not available Tuesday for comment.
Details of the plan, including who would pay for the prison, have not been made public.
Earlier this month, a report released in Britain revealed that foreign-born inmates outnumbered British inmates in UK prisons for the first time, with Jamaicans representing the largest block at about 2,800.
Most are poor women convicted for smuggling cocaine on commercial flights from Jamaica.
