KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of National Security this morning issued a release outlining the £25 million deal with the United Kingdom to build a prison here that would see up to 300 Jamaicans currently imprisoned in the UK completing their sentences here.
The Government has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UK to improve the conditions under which prisoners are held in Jamaica, consistent with best practice and international human rights standards, through the construction of a maximum-security prison here, the ministry explained.
According to the release, the new facility would accommodate between 1 500 and 2 000 inmates.
“Provision would be made for up to three hundred Jamaicans serving prison sentences in the UK, and subject to deportation at the end of their sentences, to be transferred to this new prison to complete their sentences” the release said.
Key features of the MOU, as outlined by the National Security Ministry
Some important elements of the MOU are:
Benefits to Jamaica:
There are substantial benefits that would accrue to Jamaica:
The Ministry of National Security believes these understandings represent a good deal for Jamaica by addressing the inhumane conditions in our prison facilities without having to divert huge financial resources from education, health, or vital infrastructure.
There are hundreds of Jamaicans deported every year to Jamaica, having served prison sentences for drug related or violent offences in the USA or the UK, without the benefit of a structured reintegration process.
Accelerating the return of a small percentage of these Jamaicans through a structured rehabilitation and reintegration process is a reasonable trade-off for a dramatic improvement in our prison conditions. (Observer)
