Our story
The Prison Services, Probation Services and Approved Schools for child offenders were autonomous bodies before their amalgamation in 1975, which formed the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
The Prison Services is the oldest of the three entities, with its genesis being a response to the growing crime problems post Emancipation. Institutions such as the St. Catherine District Adult Correctional Centre and Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre were once holding areas for slaves, proving to be “readymade” penal institutions at the time.
Approved Schools were established out of the recognition that children had to be treated in separate environments from their adult counterparts.
Prior to being under the management of the DCS, these institutions were operated largely by the Salvation Army and other Friendly Societies to provide skills training and life skills to help with the children’s rehabilitation.
The Department operates 10 correctional and remand centres across five parishes. This includes seven (7) adult facilities and three (3) juvenile institutions, as well as the Howard Pre-release Hostel.
The operations of the Custodial Unit are guided by several legislations, standard operating procedures, as well as international treaties and laws for best practices.
The Custodial Services Division is one of five divisions within the DCS, tasked with providing a safe and secure environment to facilitate rehabilitation of convicted offenders.
Currently, there are approximately 4000 inmates/wards across the 10 correctional institutions for varying offences including murder/manslaughter, robbery with aggravation, housebreaking/larceny, fraud conversions, traffic offences and sexual assault.
The division strives towards ensuring healthy institution status:
The division is headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Services who has administrative responsibility for all correctional institutions, as well as the Howard Pre-release Hostel.
The Custodial team consists of:
Correctional Officers
Correctional Officers are to be viewed as agents of change, given their roles and responsibilities in rehabilitating convicted offenders in becoming productive citizens.
The core duties of Correctional Officers, as guided by the principles of healthy institutions, are as follows:
Ranks of Correctional Officers
Facts about Correctional Institutions
Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre
During the slave trade, the site was used as a trading centre for slaves. In 1845, the British colonial government commissioned the facility into a prison. The prison housed both males and females until 1975, when the females were relocated.
Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre is one of two reception institutions for males.
St. Catherine District Adult Correctional Centre
In 1655, the British established this site as a holding area for slaves carted to the facility after they disembarked the ships at Port Henderson. In 1898, the gallows was relocated from Falmouth to this prison, which has always been the holding area for inmates condemned to death. The last hanging was done in 1988.
St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre is one of two reception institutions for males.
New Broughton Sunset Rehabilitation Adult Correctional Centre
This institution was established in 1977 in partnership with the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Island. From 1912 to 1977, the New Broughton Boys Home occupied the premises.
The institution now houses a male offenders age of 55 years and over.
South Camp Adult Correctional Centre
The facility came into being in May 1974 as I response to the upsurge in gun related crimes.
Originally, it operated as a court and a prison. On October 1, 1974, the Department of Correctional Services took charge of the centre.
In September 1998, the court section, ‘Gun Court’ was moved to King Street. In 2012, adult inmates were transferred to other institutions. In September 2013, female inmates were transferred from Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre and Horizon Adult Remand Centre to this site, which now houses at the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre.
Richmond Farm Adult Correctional Centre
The original site of a sugar plantation and a great house. This institution is located in the parish of St. Mary.
It was commissioned into service in 1944. As a farm institution, agriculture is one of the major activities, Richmond Farm is a low security institution.
Tamarind Farm Adult Correctional Centre.
This institution was established in 1949 as part of the St. Catherine District Prison. It remained attached until 1972 when it gained its autonomy.
A farm institution, agricultural activities form an integral part of the rehabilitation programmes.
Horizon Adult Remand Centre
Commissioned in the service in 2001, this is the only maximum-security remand facility in the island.
In 2005, the legislation was revised to give the facility an additional function of correctional centre to house high risk inmates sentenced by the Court.
Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Remand Centre (To be provided)
(Remand Centre for boys)
Intersection of Race Course Lane and Metcalfe Street, Kingston
South Camp Juvenile Remand and Correctional Centre (Girls)
South Camp Road, Kingston
Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre (Boys)
Tredegar Park, Spanish Town, St. Catherine
