Inmates and Correctional Officers Participate in Training Course

Several inmates and Correctional Officers have been empowered with business skills within the entertainment sector, under the University of the West Indies (UWI)- Mona Prison Project (UMPP).

The training initiative was a collaboration between the UWI and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and “exemplifies the transformational power of education, hard work, resilience, and hope,” says Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.

She was addressing the participants in the training, dubbed ‘Entertainment Business Programme’, at a graduation ceremony, held today (August 22), at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston.

The State Minister said the event signified not just a commitment to academic excellence, but a “dedication to the holistic rehabilitation and reintegration of our incarcerated individuals”.

“This partnership has sprung to life, igniting a spark of transformation for the prison system in Jamaica. The UWI-Mona Prison Project stands as a beacon of progress, bridging the gap between incarceration and opportunity, between confinement and empowerment,” she argued.

The State Minister said the graduates have not “merely completed” a programme; they have embarked on a journey of “self-discovery, growth and redemption,” by gaining foundational knowledge in business and management within the cultural and creative industries.

She added that they have also fortified their potential for future success, emphasising that as they step back into the world beyond the prison walls, they do so “newly bestowed” with skills that will serve as both a shield against adversity and tools with which to carve their own paths.

“This pilot project carries a twofold mission that deserves our applause and unwavering support. Firstly, it aims to enhance the earning potential of rehabilitated inmates upon their release. By equipping them with practical insights into the workings of the entertainment business, we are opening doors to employment and entrepreneurship, nurturing self-sufficiency and independence,” the State Minister said.

In the past, the DCS had undertaken various educational initiatives that saw inmates earning certificates at both the secondary and tertiary levels, and in 2020, the Ministry of National Security, through the DCS, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Stand Up Jamaica and the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), which saw inmates benefiting from scholarships to pursue associate degrees in business administration.

The training programme is a Prison-to-College Pipeline (P2CP) initiative that aims to increase access to higher education and improve reintegration outcomes for incarcerated people in Jamaica.

It is inspired by the Prison-to-College Pipeline programme at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, United States (US), which focuses on providing post-secondary education to incarcerated people and tackling the stigma of incarceration that creates barriers to successful reintegration.