Jamaica plans new J$8 billion maximum-security prison in St. Catherine

The Jamaican government is moving ahead with plans to construct a new maximum-security prison in St. Catherine, with the proposed facility expected to cost at least J$8 billion.

State Minister in the Ministry of National Security and Peace Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn said preliminary work on the project has begun, although it remains in the planning stage.

The government has identified land in St. Catherine for the facility and established a committee to advance the project. Applications for the statutory approvals required for construction have also been submitted to the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation.

The proposed investment is estimated at between J$8 billion and J$10 billion.

According to Cuthbert-Flynn, the new prison is intended to replace aging correctional infrastructure and provide purpose-built facilities designed to improve security, rehabilitation programs and operational efficiency, as well as working conditions for correctional officers.

“Jamaica will no longer rely on infrastructure designed by a bygone era,” Cuthbert-Flynn said while addressing the 14th annual conference of the Association of Caribbean Heads of Corrections and Prison Services in St. Andrew.

However, construction has not yet started, and financing arrangements for the project have not been finalized.

Cuthbert-Flynn said the government has also not determined whether the facility will be developed through a public-private partnership.

The proposed prison forms part of the government’s efforts to modernize Jamaica’s correctional infrastructure.