"Correctional" Institutions

The deadly fire on Friday 22^nd May 2009, at the state-run Armadale centre in Alexandria St. Ann, Jamaica, which claimed the lives of five young girls, the injury of 11 others and the destruction of a dormitory at the all-girl correctional facility, has once again raised questions about how such institutions are run.

“Correctional” institutions in Jamaica were first established by the British over 200 hundred years ago, using the concept that you simply lock away offenders from the public. No correction involved. Matter closed.

However, Britain like the rest of the civilized world has long ago moved into the modern era where the emphasis at these institutions is rehabilitation. However, Jamaica remains steeped in the old concept. So whether one is a young or old offender, there is no emphasis on re-socializing them or teaching them skills that will enable them to re-enter society as useful human beings and not parasites or deviants though this is far cheaper for the entire society in the long run.

Also, our institutions are hotbeds of corruption where warders are prepared to supply any contraband from cell phones to weapons, for a price. And the policy makers, be they JLP or PNP, do not care two hoots about rehabilitation. They just want the problem to stay as far out of sight as possible. As a result, offenders are locked down for up to 23 hours daily, instead of being taught a skill or made to put in some form of work where they can earn an income , no matter how small, which could either go to helping their own families or providing some form of compensation to those they have harmed. What a waste.

As to the juveniles, Yes, some form of schooling exists, but are the authorities interested in rehabilitating them? No, they simply want to keep them till they are 18 years old then they either send them back into their comminutes much worse than when they left or they are then sent to adult correctional institutions to get even better qualifications in deviance. Either no or so little that at matters, is offered in terms of counseling ….. for example in anger management, socialization, nor not even a psychiatric evaluation is done in most cases. So the reasons behind their anti social behavior is never analyzed with a view to rehabilitation. Hence we are told that at the Armadale institution the fire started because it was deliberately set by the girls who were locked up in the dormitory, as they were planning to create a diversion to break out. Does this sound like rational behaviour?

One would hope that coming out of this unfortunate incident where lives were lost, there will be a change in how the policy makers and bureaucrats view “correctional” institutions, but I am certainly not holding my breath!