Amendments to Corrections Act Almost Complete

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, has informed that amendments to the Corrections Act are almost complete, and that the new Corrections Policy is now approved by Cabinet.

Senator Johnson Smith made the remarks while opening debate on the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill, the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Bill and the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Bill, during the sitting of the Senate on Friday, June. 20.

The Bills, which were passed by the House, seek to amend their principal legislation to increase the mandatory minimum penalties specified for murder, to increase the minimum periods that must be served before an offender is eligible for parole, and to adjust the term of life imprisonment to 50 years where the offence is murder.

Mrs. Johnson Smith, who is also Leader of Government Business in the Senate, said while the Government is strengthening the necessary elements of the punishment and deterrence, measures are also being taken to address the issue of rehabilitation.

“Even as these matters have been work in progress because new leadership at Corrections is already delivering improvements, so there are new educational programmes, life skills, psychosocial skills programmes as well as additional staff. There are two psychologists for adults, two for juveniles and two psychiatrists on staff,” she said.

“The DCS (Department of Correctional Services) now employs rehabilitation managers, five of them – three at juvenile and two at the adult level; 24 case managers – eight at the juvenile institutions…and 16 in adult institutions; 33 civilian teachers – 19 serving in the juvenile institutions and 14 in the adult institutions, and we are delivering programmes in conjunction with HEART and even UWI to ensure that there are opportunities to change circumstances. There are also chaplains…assigned to each centre for counselling and religious enrichment,” she continued.

Senator Johnson Smith pointed out that the policy has a lot more work before it can be implemented.

The policy addresses matters regarding improvements to State penal institutions and the welfare of incarcerated inmates.

Senator Johnson Smith said the Government is taking a holistic approach to the cycle of crime.

“As we stand here performing our duty to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Jamaica, we are, of course, including in that the identification of conduct to which penal sanctions are to attach and the determination of the severity of the punishment, so that the judiciary has guidance in its application of the law,” she added.

She said the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences is intended to send the strong signal that society will not tolerate certain forms of criminal behaviour.

“There is an increasing demand from victims and interested parties in support of the imposition of harsher penalties, many of whom feel that justice has not been served for them on previous occasions, so there is a need for an enhanced alignment between sentencing regimes governing serious crimes in Jamaica and the expectations of the public and the outcomes from the justice system,” the Minister noted.

She said, as confirmed by the Joint Select Committee, the extreme situation in Jamaica warrants a legislative strategy to go beyond what in other countries might be considered average mandatory minimum sentences, and to treat also with the timing of the possibility of parole.

The Bills are the result of extensive consultation through the Joint Select

Committee process convened from as far back as 2023.

The Committee received oral and written feedback from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the Jamaican Bar Association; the Office of the Children’s Advocate; the Office of the Public Defender; Jamaican Psychological Society; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; Faculty of Law, UWI, Mona; civil society stakeholders; and members of the public.