Security State Minister says Rehabilitation Programme is Working

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, says passes in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination by persons in the penal system is a sign that the rehabilitation programme is working.

Addressing the opening of an Education Symposium at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, today (March 5), Mr. Spencer said education is the solution in giving inmates a second chance “to life and an opportunity to be better”.

He noted that among the highlights of the 2018 CSEC results are 60 out of 97 candidates passed at least one subject, and two of them were successful in six subjects, adding that “outstanding” passes were seen in Principles of Business, Human and Social Biology, Economics and Food Nutrition as well as Office Administration.

“We pride ourselves for the successful rehabilitation of our offenders, and we are working assiduously with our partners – Stand Up Jamaica, HEART Trust/NTA and others – to achieve this,” the State Minister told the audience.

Another evidence of the achievement of rehabilitation, he outlined, is where 855 inmates from five correctional institutions are enrolled in various academic and vocational activities under the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Education Programme.

Mr. Spencer said that education should be seen as a life-long process, and the Ministry aims to ensure that all offenders are engaged in rehabilitation activities.

The State Minister said that their future is being prioritised to ensure that when they are released from the system, they can be “successfully reintegrated into society”.

The event was held under the theme ‘Education in Focus’.