Rehab venture for deported persons gets $129 million

Just over $129 million has been earmarked for the reinte-gration of deported persons from the United Kingdom (UK), and the rehabilitation of persons incarcerated by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in the 2010/11 Budget.

The project, the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Local Offenders and Deported Persons, is designed to significantly improve the reintegration of Jamaicans who have been deported from the UK after completing prison sentences, as well as to build the capacity of the DCS to rehabilitate inmates.

Objectives

Its objectives include changing the management programme designed and implemented by the DCS; improve supervision of offenders; enhance use of service orders; and improve DCS custodial and non-custodial facilities for rehabilitation.

Funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the tune of £3 million, it was imple-mented by the Ministry of National Security in November 2008, and ends in March 2011.

For this fiscal year, the physical targets of the initiative involve refurbishing the facilities of the Salvation Army and Community Group Homes, for the short-term accommodation of deported males; renovating the facilities of Open Arms, for the longer-term accom-modation of deported males; provide support to Hibiscus, National Council on Drug Abuse and Hush the Guns; and the construction of a reception facility at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre.

Targets achieved

The programme also aims to provide support service to the Jamaica Reducing Re-offending Action Plan; develop a com-prehensive deported persons database; and establish the projected sub-investment projects for the Bellevue Hospital and Correctional Services Production Company.

Some of the targets achieved since February 2010 include the archiving of old records, to enable the efficient verification of deported persons; completed construction of the Twickenham Park Firearms and Tactical Training Unit; implementation of reception and short-term housing services for deported persons at community group homes; and the work of the Open Arms Drop-in Centre to facilitate the rehabili-tation of male deportees suffering from mental illnesses.