Gov’t plans $8b max-security prison

Planning is under way for the construction of a new maximum-security correctional facility, with the government having identified a site and established a committee to advance the project.

The development comes as Jamaica moves to modernise its correctional system, with Ministry of National Security and Peace State Minister Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn outlining a raft of measures on Monday aimed at improving security, rehabilitation and the reintegration of inmates.

Speaking at the 14th annual conference of the Association of Caribbean Heads of Corrections and Prison Services (ACHCPS) at AC Hotel in St Andrew, Cuthbert-Flynn said preliminary work had commenced for the project.

“Jamaica will no longer rely on infrastructure designed by a bygone era,” she said.

However, Cuthbert-Flynn later clarified to The Gleaner that the preliminary work has started only on the planning phase, with a site identified and a committee established to drive the project forward.

As for financing, Cuthbert-Flynn said the arrangements had not yet been finalised, including whether the government would pursue a public-private partnership.

But, in an article written by Cuthbert-Flynn and published last month in the Jamaica Observer, she said the government had identified land in St Catherine for a nationally significant correctional project and that applications for the statutory planning approvals required for construction were before the St Catherine Municipal Corporation.

PROPOSED INVESTMENT

She said the proposed investment was estimated at between $8 billion and $10 billion and would provide purpose-built infrastructure to support modern rehabilitation programmes, enhanced security, improved operational efficiency, and better working conditions for correctional officers.

Addressing the conference, Cuthbert-Flynn outlined a wider modernisation programme, including a $2.5-billion investment over four years in an e-corrections strategy.

The Cabinet-approved initiative will replace fragmented paper-based records with an integrated digital platform linking correctional institutions, probation offices, and the courts.

Cuthbert-Flynn said the system would improve offender tracking, medical records, risk assessment, and rehabilitation planning.

The government is also rolling out high-definition CCTV systems across correctional facilities, beginning at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, to improve security and institutional oversight.

But Cuthbert-Flynn said modernisation must go beyond buildings and technology.

“Correctional officers are not merely guards. They are security professionals, first responders, mentors and agents of behavioural change,” she said.

She said the government is advancing a job reclassification and organisational review of the Department of Correctional Services, alongside efforts to strengthen training and career development.

Jamaica is also establishing the Caribbean Correctional Academy, which is expected to serve as a regional centre for correctional education, leadership and research. The academy is scheduled to be officially opened on Wednesday.

The conference, which runs from September 7 to 11 under the theme ‘One Caribbean, One Vision: Leading Together for a Safer Caribbean Corrections’, also highlighted the need for greater regional cooperation.

Wynnie Testamark, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections and vice-president of the ACHCPS, said the responsibilities facing prison services were becoming increasingly complex.

“Our institutions are expected not only to maintain security and public safety, but also to uphold human dignity, support rehabilitation, prepare individuals for successful reintegration, and make meaningful contributions to safer and stronger communities,” she said.

Testamark said Caribbean jurisdictions, despite differences in size, resources, legislation and operational structures, were dealing with many of the same challenges, including security, overcrowding, staff development, mental health, technology, recidivism and reintegration.

She said those shared challenges made regional cooperation particularly important, with countries standing to benefit from the exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices.

“One Caribbean means recognising that our collective strength is greater than the sum of our individual efforts,” Testamark said.

She urged delegates to develop practical solutions and strengthen partnerships in training, technology, intelligence sharing, rehabilitation, staff wellness and institutional development.

DEFINING MOMENT

President of the ACHCPS, Doan Cleare, said the region was at a defining moment in corrections, with institutions facing organised crime, gang affiliation, cyberthreats, radicalisation, overcrowding, mental-health concerns, and increasing demands for effective rehabilitation.

“These challenges require innovation, collaboration and courageous leadership,” Cleare said.

He said no single correctional service possessed all the answers, but Caribbean jurisdictions collectively had considerable knowledge, experience and professional expertise.

Cleare said the association had promoted professional development, training and the exchange of best practices among member states, and urged delegates to build on that work.

He also called on correctional leaders to challenge outdated practices, embrace innovation, and invest in correctional professionals.

“Let it be a catalyst for transformation,” he said.

Cuthbert-Flynn said stronger security must be accompanied by meaningful rehabilitation, highlighting the infant nursery at the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre for incarcerated expectant mothers.

She also pointed to legislation expanding alternatives to incarceration, including community service, probation and suspended sentences, as well as measures allowing qualified offenders to have their criminal records expunged.

“Social stigma must not become an unofficial life sentence,” she said.

Cuthbert-Flynn also called for stronger regional cooperation in tackling transnational crime, noting that organised criminal networks, illicit firearms and narcotics do not respect national borders.

“Cross-border challenges require cross-border solutions,” she said.

“A safer Jamaica contributes to a safer Caribbean, and a stronger Caribbean protects us all.”

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com