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Community Corrections

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is mandated to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in Jamaica. This responsibility extends to individuals serving non-custodial sentences under supervision, as well as custodial offenders who are permitted to complete the remainder of their sentence within the community.

Central to this mission is the work of Probation Aftercare Officers, who play a pivotal role in supporting offenders throughout their rehabilitative journey. These officers provide supervision, guidance, and counselling, aimed at helping individuals transition back into society, adjust to its norms and expectations, and reduce the risk of reoffending. Their work spans a variety of settings, including
courts of law, schools, juvenile and adult correctional centres, and the wider community.

Through a combination of community partnerships, structured interventions, and restorative practices, DCS ensures that justice is balanced with compassion and practicality—acknowledging that the community plays a crucial role in crime prevention, accountability, and healing.

Community-Based Sentences

The Jamaican Criminal Justice System provides a variety of non-custodial sentencing options, particularly for eligible offenders aged 18 to under 23 years, with the aim of promoting rehabilitation, reintegration, and reduction in reoffending. These alternatives allow offenders to remain in the community under structured supervision and conditions, as determined by the courts and managed by the Probation Aftercare Branch of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).

Types of Alternative Sentences
1. Fines

The court may impose a monetary penalty as an alternative to incarceration, except in cases requiring a mandatory custodial sentence. Payments may be made in instalments. However, failure to pay may result in imprisonment.

2. Suspended Sentences

Offenders may be given a suspended custodial sentence of up to three years, which allows them to live in the community without supervision. If they reoffend during this period, the suspended sentence may be activated.

A “Bound Over” order is a similar conditional release requiring good behaviour, with sentencing enforced only if the offender breaches this condition within three years.

3. Suspended Sentence Supervision Orders

Offenders aged 18 and over receiving suspended sentences may be placed under supervision by a Probation Aftercare Officer for up to three years.
During this time, they must:

  • Maintain a fixed place of residence
  • Stay in regular contact with their probation officer
  • Receive advice and counselling
  • Comply with monitoring requirements

4. Admonished and Discharged

This applies primarily to first-time or minor offenders, where the court issues a stern warning and formally discharges the individual without further penalty.

5. Probation Orders

A Probation Order enables an offender to remain in the community under supervision for one to three years, subject to conditions such as:

  • Keeping the peace
  • Good behaviour
  • Lawful conduct
  • Regular reporting to a Probation Office

This measure supports the offender’s rehabilitation and reintegration while ensuring accountability.

6. Community Service Orders
A Community Service Order (CSO) is a non-custodial sentencing option available to the Jamaican courts, authorised under the Criminal Justice (Reform) Act, 1978. It allows a judge to order an offender aged 18 years or older to carry out unpaid work within the community, typically for minor, non-violent offences. This option serves as a practical and rehabilitative alternative to short-term imprisonment.
With the offender’s consent, the court may require unpaid work for:

  • 40 to 360 hours (single offence)
  • Up to 480 hours (multiple offences)

Tasks may include community maintenance, sanitation, assisting vulnerable groups, and other public benefit activities. Ineligibility applies to offenders involved in murder, violent crimes, or firearm-related offences, and those without a fixed residence.

Parole

Parole refers to the conditional release of an inmate from an adult correctional centre, allowing them to serve the remainder of their custodial sentence within the community. This release is granted under the Parole Act and is supervised by Probation Aftercare Officers.

Parole differs from:

  • Remission – A reduction of sentence duration for fixed-term inmates (typically one-third for first-time offenders and one-quarter for repeat offenders).
  • Reprieve – A pardon granted by the Governor General to an individual currently serving a sentence.

Eligibility for Parole

An inmate is eligible to apply for parole if they:

    • Are serving a sentence of more than 12 months;
    • Have served one-third of their sentence or 12 months, whichever is greater.

Additional eligibility criteria include:

  • For concurrent sentences, eligibility is based on the longest sentence.
  • Inmates serving life sentences must serve at least 10 years before applying.
  • Foreign nationals are ineligible for parole due to the absence of reciprocal agreements with other countries. Their only recourse is to petition the Governor General for reprieve.

Application Requirements

To apply for parole, inmates must submit:

  • A fixed address with identifiable landmarks and contact details;
  • Names of individuals who will provide rehabilitative support;
  • Evidence or prospects of employment, which strengthens the application.

Considerations for Granting Parole

The Parole Board evaluates a range of factors, including:

  • The nature and severity of the offence;
  • Trial documentation and remarks from the sentencing judge;
  • The inmate’s criminal record;
  • Behaviour, adjustment, and participation in treatment programmes while incarcerated;
  • Reports from:
    • The correctional facility’s Superintendent;
    • Institutional and community Probation Officers;
    • The Court;
    • Medical and psychiatric professionals;
    • Police and the victim (where applicable);
  • Public safety considerations;
  • Demonstrated rehabilitation and reform;
  • Future plans and the level of family and community support.

Refusal and Reapplication

If parole is denied, the inmate may reapply after 12 months from the date of refusal.

Parole Order and Conditions

Upon approval:

  • The inmate receives a Parole Order, which outlines the specific conditions of release and is explained in detail.
  • A Parolee Identification Card is issued, which must be presented to any Probation Aftercare Officer or member of the security forces upon request.

Conditions may include:

  • Regular reporting to a Probation Office;
  • Adherence to curfews;
  • Engagement in employment or rehabilitative programmes;
  • Abstaining from criminal activity.

Sex Offender Registry
The Sex Offender Registry was established under the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act, 2009, and became operational in July 2014. Its operation is governed by the Sexual Offences (Registration of Sex Offenders) Regulations, 2012. The Registry is managed by the Commissioner of Corrections and is currently located at 12–14 Lockett Avenue, Kingston Gardens, Kingston 4.

The Registry is responsible for:

  • Maintaining the Sex Offender Register;
  • Administering the operations of Registration Centres across Jamaica.

Registration System

Jamaica uses an offence-based registration system, which mandates that sex offenders convicted of specified offences be registered. This system is not based on risk assessment or sentence length, and therefore may not reflect the offender's level of dangerousness.

Who Must Be Registered?
Individuals convicted (and not exempted) of any of the specified offences under  the following Acts must be registered:

  • The Sexual Offences Act
  • The Offences Against the Person Act
  • The Child Care and Protection Act
  • The Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Suppression and Punishment) Act

Examples of specified offences include:

  • Incest, rape, marital rape
  • Sexual grooming or intercourse with a minor
  • Indecent assault, grievous sexual assault
  • Living on the earnings of prostitution
  • Abduction or detention for sexual purposes
  • Offences under Sections 76, 77, and 79 of the Offences Against the Person Act
  • Sexual exploitation or trafficking of children

Registered offenders are monitored for a minimum of 10 years before they are eligible to apply for removal from the Register.

Reporting Obligations of Sex Offenders

Sex offenders are required to report to the Registration Centre serving their parish in the following instances:

  • Within 3 days of sentencing, if not held in custody
  • Within 3 days of release from custody (e.g., parole)
  • Within 14 days of:
    o Changing main or secondary residence
    o Changing legal name
  • At least once every 11–12 months from the last visit
  • Before leaving Jamaica or residing elsewhere for 14 or more consecutive days
  • Upon return to their primary residence (within 14 days of return)

A ‘Notice on Absence of Sex Offender‘ form must be submitted in person for travel or long absences.

Removal from the Register

After 10 years, a sex offender may become eligible for the termination of registration and reporting requirements. The process is as follows:

  • A Judge in Chambers reviews the application upon expiry of the original registration period.
  • The judge may either:
    1. Terminate the requirements; or
    2. Extend them (with or without changes) for up to another 10 years.

Further applications for termination can only be made if the initial 10-year period has been extended or varied.

Penalties for Breaches

Failure to comply with the reporting and notification requirements constitutes an offence under the Sexual Offences Act, 2009. Penalties include:

  • A fine up to JMD 1,000,000
  • Imprisonment for up to 12 months
  • Or both fine and imprisonment

Access to Information

The Registry and Register are strictly confidential. Access is restricted to authorised individuals or organisations with a legitimate interest, including:

  • Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force
  • Counsellors and professionals providing treatment to sex offenders
  • Employers and managers of educational or care facilities for vulnerable persons
  • Parents, guardians, or caregivers of vulnerable individuals
  • Individuals or bodies granted access for statistical purposes by the Minister

Applications must be made in writing to:

  • The Commissioner of Corrections, Department of Correctional Services, 5–7 King Street, Kingston, or
  • The Registrar, Sex Offender Registry, 12–14 Lockett Avenue, Kingston 4

Registration Centres

Each parish in Jamaica has a designated Sex Offender Registry Registration Centre, except Kingston and St. Andrew, which share a joint centre. These centres are typically housed within Probation Offices, and are equipped to handle:

  • Registration
  • Reporting and notification
  • Information submission and updates

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