Minister Bunting Commits to Deadline for Removal of Juveniles from Fort Augusta

Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, has given the assurance that the Government will make good on its commitment to have all female juveniles removed from the Fort Augusta Correctional Centre by year-end.

Speaking at on July 17 Jamaica House press briefing, Minister Bunting said that coming out of discussions with the Commissioner of Corrections, the relocation could be as early as September.

This removal, he said, is the first phase of the transfer of inmates from Fort Augusta to two distinct facilities, which will be built at South Camp Correctional Centre in Kingston.

He informed that the adult females would be relocated sometime next year, as the December timeline, which was originally set, due to the then urgent need for the Fort Augusta property for use by the Port Authority of Jamaica, had been pushed back.

“We have a little bit more time…so rather than having to focus on the whole South Camp (Correctional) facility – two distinct sections – we can now focus only on the juvenile section (and) accelerating that,” Minister Bunting said.

In January, Mr. Bunting announced that the South Camp centre will be renovated to accommodate all inmates currently residing at Fort Augusta.

He informed that there will be total separation of the juveniles from the adults.

“That compound will be divided into two discrete, totally separate, though adjacent, facilities. They will be divided by a double fence (and a partition), so there won’t even be visual connection between the two,” he stated.

The Minister said the Government was also exploring the possibility of a public/private partnership for the construction of a modern adult correctional facility.

He said that the Government was receiving interest from at least two reputable companies to enter into a public/private partnership to undertake the project. The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has been tasked to manage this process.