Before April 25, 1975, the responsibilities of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) were carried out by three separate entities: Jamaica Prison Services, Probation Services, and Approved Schools.
Jamaica Prison Services is the oldest, emerging after Emancipation, utilizing former slave-holding facilities like St. Catherine District Prison as penal institutions.
Approved Schools, operated mainly by the Salvation Army and Friendly Societies, were created to rehabilitate children separately from adults, offering life and skills training.
Probation Services also began with the Salvation Army. Though the Probation of Offenders Law existed from 1909, a formal system wasn’t established until 1946, when the government brought in trained officers from England to develop it.
Each of the three had its own operations, leading to duplication of services. Amalgamation in 1975 created the unified Department of Correctional Services, improving efficiency and coordination.
At the time, Jamaica Prison Services managed eight prisons, including General Penitentiary and Fort Augusta. Only four Approved Schools—Rio Cobre, Stony Hill, Armadale, and Lower Esher—were later integrated into DCS. Probation Services operated island-wide, with increasing staff and regional offices.
The merger marked a shift from punitive approaches to rehabilitation. Inmate quarry mining was discontinued, and emphasis was placed on staff training, improved salaries, and opportunities for advancement, benefiting both staff and offenders.
