Prisons in Jamaica – the way forward

Prisons are generally necessary, but they are institutions that are frequently, understandably, overlooked by society. Without any need to interact with the system, most Jamaicans have a vague and sometimes mixed understanding of how prisons work, or at least how they are supposed to work.

To the average citizen, the justice system appears straightforward in that those who break the law (and are caught and charged) are imprisoned and denied certain rights as a result of their acts of injustice. The justice system is therefore viewed as an institution that focuses on deterrence of criminal activities, punishment, and rehabilitation.

However, these perspectives held by the general public do not t always necessarily hold true, particularly for those who enter and leave the prison system. Some offenders enter prison as hardened criminals and emerge with tougher and more troublesome behaviours, while others might undergo some level of transformation as a result of personal reflection and the hardships that come with being separated from society.

Arguably, if time spent in confinement doesn’t result in transformation, what, then, is the role of prisons in the modern world? And what is the most successful path for helping returning citizens or ex-offenders reintegrate into their communities and avoid a return to prison? The answer to these questions is not as straightforward and linear as we may hope, but studies have highlighted the importance of understanding the prison-built environment, rehabilitation efforts, and outcomes on how individuals serve their time and rejoin society. These factors contribute to the success or failure of a modern correctional facility.

INCARCERATED AND OVERCROWDED

At the end of 2021, the total adult custodial population was 3,565 people, of whom approximately 41 per cent were serving sentences of up to 12 months and the remainder between 12 months to life in prison. Largely, these sentences to confinement aims to deter those who have committed crimes and should make it less likely that those who serve a prison sentence will commit crimes after their release. Studies have shown that incarceration lowers the probability that an individual will re-offend within five years by 27 percentage points and reduces the corresponding number of criminal charges per individual by 10 charges. Additionally, this time spent in prison can deter future criminal behaviour or rehabilitate offenders through vocational training or wellness programmes.

But is this the case in Jamaica? Sadly, not always. We see many cases were incarceration lead to recidivism and unemployment due to its human capital depreciation, exposure to hardened criminals, or societal and workplace stigma. At the end of 2021, of the total prison admissions, 59 per cent were new, 28 per cent were readmissions, and 13 per cent had been previously convicted, but not given custodial sentences, resulting in a recidivism rate of 41 per cent. But this is not new.

Over the last three to five years, the recidivism rate in Jamaica has been about 40 per cent and by 2030, the government seeks to reduce its recidivism rate to 10 per cent. An ambitious target, but regrettably, prison life in Jamaica is often fraught with many difficulties, such as overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate opportunities for work, education, and recreational activities. As a result, the purpose of incarceration and the goal of rehabilitation in its current state is diminished, resulting in more mental health disorders and difficulty re-entering society than success. Numerous studies have shown that overcrowding, including the other defects mentioned above, poses a risk and limits interventions aimed at promoting positive behaviour.

The transition from incarceration to transformation requires a great deal of investment in the provision of extensive rehabilitation programmes to prepare prisoners to be productive members of society. However, prison rehabilitation programmes in our local correctional facilities are frequently not suitable due to insufficient funding, lack of qualified staff, the lack of tracking and case management of each inmate, and a lack of space and creative spaces to administer such programmes. It, therefore, seems unrealistic in the current system of things for the government to reduce its recidivism rate to 10 per cent and Jamaica achieving this part of its Vision 2030.

RELEASED AND UNTRANSFORMED

Upon release from prison or being charged without being incarcerated, 41 per cent of offenders are re-arrested for another crime and returned to prison. To reduce this occurrence, improving prison conditions and in-prison rehabilitation services play a key role in reducing the rate of reoffending. The construction of modern prison facilities to ease overcrowded conditions and provide inmates with a safe and humane place to serve their time will also contribute, in a significant way, to reducing the reoffending rate.

For example, the Norwegian prison system, which is seen as one of the gold standards for incarceration, rehabilitation, and reintegration, invests heavily in individuals’ reentry programmes, which help to give former offenders the opportunity to work and earn an income to transform their lives. Some prisons provide mentorship, housing placement, workforce development, and employment placement, among other supportive services. While employment is an important part of reentry, further support and educational programming are needed. The Norwegian prison system increases job training, raises employment, and reduces crime, mostly due to changes for individuals who were not employed prior to imprisonment.

Unrealistic? Many would argue that investment in these efforts is a waste of taxpayers’ money, and that attention should not be given to prisons, but to schools and other necessary worthwhile infrastructure projects. However, in order for our country to reduce its reoffending rate to 10 per cent by 2030 and reduce the recommittal of major crimes that impact individuals and businesses, there is a need for increased investment in robust evidence-based correctional programmes coupled with better prison-built conditions to not only break the crime cycle, but also reduce future criminal activities, lower incarceration expenditures, and facilitate more successful re-entry and integration upon prison release.

An editorial in The Gleaner, of December 11, 2022 said that a modern prison can be constructed using funding from the private sector and, more importantly, will not prevent other important infrastructural projects such as schools, hospitals, police stations and roads from being built. The use of private sector funds to build critical infrastructure projects is not new to Jamaica as this method of financing has been used to finance both legs of the country’s successful toll roads, both airports, shipping ports and student housing. The Editorial goes further and states that sound regulations and a strong regulator, as in the case of the country’s toll roads, is necessary for a successful implementation of a modern correctional facility.

I hope that the government follows through on its promise to create the opportunity for the construction of a new integrated correctional facility this year which would help to resolve some of the structural and operational issues that our current correctional facilities are experiencing as funding would be available through the private sector.

Olufemi Sowande is former chief executive officer of an inner-city organisation training young adults displaced by the formal system, including rehabilitated former prisoners. Send feedback to olufemi1106@gmail.com.