Inmates Benefit From Rehabilitation Programme At Adult Correctional Centre

Forty-four women at the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre in Kingston have graduated with academic and skills certification, in preparation for their reintegration into society.

The Centre’s rehabilitation programme is facilitated by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), in partnership with the HEART/NSTA Trust, to help reduce recidivism through various interventions, including academic classes, skills training, counselling and therapy, life skills, sports, dance and theatre.

In addition, the DCS partners with several financial institutions to empower inmates with knowledge of financial literacy, development of business plans, and access to small business loans.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, in her address at the graduation ceremony on Thursday (March 20), at the facility’s South Camp Road location, commended the graduands on completing the programme, noting that this is an indication that they have “embarked on a path of personal change, redefined your goals and have shown a profound commitment to rehabilitation”.

“It is your hard work, commitment and dedication that allowed you to persevere and excel,” the State Minister said.

At the ceremony, which was held under the theme ‘Empowering for a Brighter Future’, Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn reiterated the Government’s mandate to empower persons within the island’s correctional facilities to have a brighter and secure future and reduce recidivism through the various rehabilitation programmes available to them.

“[These programmes] are the stepping stones that you need to take advantage of, in order to improve your skills and mindset. You must take this opportunity to positively impact yourselves, your children, your family and your community. We believe in you, we have invested in you, and we want you to believe in yourselves and invest in yourselves,” she encouraged.

Director of Rehabilitation, DCS, Fiona Wilson-Duhaney, said the Centre’s comprehensive rehabilitation plan seeks to reduce reoffending through academics, skills training, counselling, life skills, psychosocial support, dance, and theatre.

“The programme’s overarching purpose is to apply holistic orientation in addressing the [contributing factors that lead persons to offend] and at the successful end of this engagement, they are equipped to create a sustainable pathway for their reintegration as law-abiding, productive members of society,” she said.

The rehabilitation programme at the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre seeks to prepare offenders for sustained employment through academic certification, and skills training in cosmetology, sewing, data operations, customer service delivery and dance.

For the academic component, members of the 2024/25 graduating class undertook studies in the High School Basic Education (HSBE) Programme, which focuses on literacy and numeracy, and sat several subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Participants also benefited from tertiary scholarships from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) for the Associate degree in Business Administration.

The programme’s design is in keeping with international best practices. Programme engagement is based on the voluntary participation of inmates, who benefited from sessions on self-development, conflict management, family life management, and career development.