DCS Awards Wards And Staff For CSEC Success

Wards at the island’s three juvenile correctional centres who were successful in the 2019 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, and teachers and other staff who helped to prepare them, were recognised by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) on Tuesday (November 19).

The children and members of staff are drawn from the Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre in St. Ann, South Camp Juvenile Correctional and Remand Centre for Girls in Kingston, and Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre in St. Catherine.

They were presented with plaques and bestowed with accolades at the DCS’s Juvenile Services Unit awards ceremony held at Curphey’s Place, St. Andrew.

Minister of State for National Security, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, in his address at the function, encouraged the wards to make use of the rehabilitation services provided to transform their lives and make a meaningful contribution to Jamaica.

He said that although they have made mistakes they are being gifted with the opportunity to pursue a better path in life.

“I encourage you to maximise on all the opportunities being provided in the Department, as these opportunities are endless and life-transforming,” he said.

He also commended the teachers, probation aftercare officers, medical personnel and case workers, for their unwavering support to the educational transformation of the wards and the development of the institutions.

“Overseeing the rehabilitation and successful reintegration of offenders is a very daunting task. Nonetheless, the staff, caseworkers and teachers have continued to make sacrifices for the transformation of our children and the betterment of our nation,” the State Minister said.

The juvenile correctional centres accommodate children aged 12 to 18 years who receive a correctional order, which stipulates the time that a child should spend in the institution.