OVERVIEW OF THE CRIM INAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Joycelyn Roach-Spencer

I. INTRODUCTION
Jamaica is profiled in the tourism arena as a paradise island in the sun.Located 90 miles south ofCuba and 600 miles south of Florida, it is the largest island in the Caribbean, measuring 4,411 square
miles and has a population of approximately 2.6 million people.Jamaica is best known for its tropicalclimate, beautiful beaches, warm friendly people, delectable cuisine, legends in reggae music (forexample, Bob M arley)and icons in sports (for example,Usain Bolt).However,the island has its own
challenges of social ills, chief of which are crime and violence. Crime transcends its boundaries as aphenomenon in recent years,giving rise to more criminals,thus demanding a serious response from thecriminal justice system.
A. Criminal Justice System
The structure of the criminal justice system incorporates the police, the courts and correctional
services,through which the legal process of criminal justice is administered.Presently,criminal justicein Jamaica is retributive in nature;its primary focus is to punish criminals for offending society as
swiftly and severely as possible. This form of justice has its roots in the Choice Theory,which posits
that criminals make conscious decisions to commit offences and as a consequence they should be given
equal punishment for the crimes they commit (Siegel, 2006);hence, the main focus is on catching thecriminal, taking him/her to court for trial and then sending him/her to prison as punishment.
1. The Role of the PoliceFirst in the criminal justice process is the function of the police, who are responsible to makearrests.In this crime fighting task the police play a reactive role,usually arriving at the scene after acrime is allegedly committed.The police then interview witnesses,collect evidence and make an arrest
if there is probable cause to do so. Probable cause means that there is a reasonable link between a
specific person and a particular crime. If this is determined, the suspect is arrested and taken intocustody. In Jamaica, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is the arm of the M inistry of National
Security entrusted with the undertaking of maintaining law and order and protecting life and property.
The JCF is supported by two subsidiaries: the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) and The
Jamaica Rural Police Force, commonly called the District Constables.
2. The Role of the Courts
After the police make an arrest,it is within the Courts that key decisions about the case are made.
The judge adjudicates the matter at a trial with a jury, a prosecutor and a defence attorney todetermine the guilt or innocence of the accused.Guilt is determined “beyond a reasonable doubt”andsentences are then determined.However a convicted person has the right to appeal his or her sentence
and/or conviction. In Jamaica there are several courts, though the Constitution provides that theSupreme Court has original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters;decisions of this court can beappealed to the Court of Appeal.Other lower courts are the Resident Magistrate Court (RM),the GunCourt, Family Court, Juvenile Court and the Coronerʼs Court.
3. The Role of Correctional Services
After the court process is completed, the Correctional Services is the final destination for aconvicted person,who can either be in custodial care(being supervised within a correctional institution
or in non‑custodial care(being supervised in the community).The Department of Correctional Services
Overseer (Acting), Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica.

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is a relatively new term in Jamaica. Prior to 1975, the Prison Service, the Probation Service and theApproved Schools operated as separate entities. In an effort to make a direct connection among thethree,and to be better able to address the rehabilitation needs of offenders,an administrative decision
was taken to merge all three entities to form the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).Operating
as one arm of the Ministry of National Security,the DCS is responsible for the safekeeping ofprisoners
and wards and to facilitate their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.In keeping with the newfocus on rehabilitation of offenders,the Criminal Justice Reform Act was passed in Parliament in 1978and made provision for non‑custodial sentences to be added as an alternative to incarceration in somecases. In addition to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, the Department is governed by other Acts,
including the Corrections Act,the Child Care and Protection Act,the Parole Act and the Probation ofOffenders Act.
The Commissioner of Corrections is the Head of the DCS and is accountable to the M inister ofNational Security to carry out its mandate given in the M ission Statement, Vision Statement andCorrectional Process (see Appendix 2). The Commissioner is assisted by two deputies: the Deputy
Commissioner responsible for Custodial Services and the Deputy Commissioner with responsibility for
Human Resources and Community Services.

II. CUSTODIAL SERVICES
The Custodial Services Arm of the Department is tasked with the responsibility of keeping
offenders safe, while facilitating their rehabilitation. This Arm consists of eight Adult Correctional
Centres and four Juvenile Institutions. Each institution is headed by a Superintendent “A”who alongwith his/her team takes care of the daily operations of his/her institution.The team comprises ranked
Correctional Officers,including basic grade Correctional Officers,Corporals,Staff Officers,Overseers,
Assistant Superintendents, Superintendents “B”, who are trained in custodial care, social work, andother specialized areas such as Medical Orderlies.Other non‑ranked members of staff include medicaldoctors, teachers, counsellors and chaplains.
The institutions are classified according to level of security needed (maximum,medium or low)andalso based on the gender of the offender.The table on page 135 compares the actual prison populationin adult and juvenile institutions with ideal capacity.
The total prison population as of December 2012 was 4,347. Of that number,3,968 were adults and379 were juveniles.Ofthe total adults,3,761 were males and 207 were females.The total number ofmale
juveniles was 285 while the total number of female juveniles was 94.Overcrowding has always been aproblem in the two largest male institutions,with the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre operating at almost twice its capacity.It is of note however that the other institutions are operating far below
their ideal capacities, which is noted by the Department, and activities are in place to examine theclassification issues whereby the lower facilities can be better utilized.

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Adult Institutions

TypeClassification

Ideal Capacity

ActualPopulation

Tower Street A.C.C

MaleMaximum

850

1,653

St Catherine A.C.CMaleMaximum

850

1,227

Fort Augusta A.C.C.

FemaleMaximum

250

207

Tamarind Farm A.C.C.

MaleMedium

350

196

South Camp A.C.C.

MaleMaximum

250

Richmond Farm A.C.C

MaleLow/Open

300

179

New Broughton S.R.A.C.C. Male

Open

50

27

Horizon AR/C.C.

Maximum

1,036

479

3,886

3,968

Male/Female

Total Adult Population

Remarks

Adult

male

A.C.C. ― Adult Correctional Centre, S.R.A.C.C. ― Sunset Rehabilitation Adult Correctional Centre,
A.R. /C.C. ― Adult Remand Correctional Centre.
Juvenile Institutions

TypeClassification

Ideal Capacity

ActualPopulation

Rio Cobre J.C.C

MaleMaximum

120103Hill Top J.C.C

MaleMaximum

98

84

M etcalfe Street S.J.C.C.

MaleMaximum98

Armadale (now DiamondFemale
Crest)J.C.C.

Maximum

Horizon A.R/C.C

Male/Female

Maximum

16

Fort Augusta A.C.C.

FemaleMaximum

40

Total Juvenile Population

Remarks

45555

38
female379

A.C.C. ― Adult Correctional Centre A.R. /C.C. ― Adult Remand Correctional Centre, S.J.C.C.

III. COMMUNITY CARE
The main function of Community Corrections is the supervision of offenders within the community
settings who are given non‑custodial sentences by the courts, such as Probation Orders, Supervision
Orders,Suspended Sentences Supervision Orders and Community Service Orders. They also supervise
inmates on parole.There are 16 Probation After Care Offices across the island,each headed by Senior
Probation After Care Officers and staffed by probation officers who plan work schedules for offenders.
They also offer counselling, monitoring and guidance to assist them in making better choices.
The inmate population in community care as of December 2011 was 5,250 (Community Services
Annual Report, 2011).

IV. THE INSTITUTION I WORK IN
A. Profile of the Horizon Adult Remand Centre
Prior to 2002,this property,located at 68 Spanish Town Road in Kingston,Jamaica,was used as amanufacturing complex called “Things Jamaica”.Due to the overcrowding of persons awaiting trial in
the police lock‑ups,it was refurbished to a ”state of the art”status,and was commissioned to be used
as an Adult Remand Centre. It was then named Horizon Adult Remand Centre (H.A.R.C.)and placed
under the management of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).

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The legislation was revised in 2005 to allow the Remand Centre additional functions such as
securing “high risk”convicted inmates and providing safekeeping of foreign nationals in breach ofimmigration laws. It now performs dual functions as an Adult Remand Correctional Centre.
Though the facility was built to house one thousand and thirty‑six (1,036) remandees/inmates,
including 32 females, it has always operated below its capacity, averaging 450 inmates.
There are two Security Blocks (Block 1 and Block 2).Each block has twelve(12)security posts,andeach security post has eight (8)cells. Each cell can hold six (6)persons,excepting the cells on the thirdfloor of each block known as the M ezzanine. This area is smaller in measurement, and each cell has
accommodation for four (4)persons.
The categories of persons housed at Horizon include remandees, convicted inmates, safekeeping(foreign nationals), appellants, male juveniles and female juveniles.
Horizon is headed by a Superintendent “A”with a staff complement of two Superintendents “B”,
three Assistant Superintendents,Overseers,Staff Officers,Corporals,CO1ʼ
s Imprest holder and a housemother for the juveniles.
Other categories of workers at Horizon are Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Security Guards, theInstitutionʼ
s Medical Doctor, Welfare Case Manager, Teacher, Psychiatrist and Chaplain.
The core functions of a Correctional Officer include maintaining security and safety of the inmates/remandees in his/her care at all times and assisting in the rehabilitation process of inmates and thetreatment of inmates/remandees with equity and decency, while attending to their welfare.
B. Brief Description of My WorkIn the capacity of Overseer,I supervise lower rank Correctional Officers (Staff Officers,Corporalsand basic grade Correctional Officers) to ensure that the institutionʼs goals are realized. I currently
work in the Personnel Department and carry out administration duties including detailing of staff forvarious posts on a daily basis. As part of my job description, I also visit Officers at their homes who
have been absent from duty without leave or who may be ill and unable to attend work or are admitted
to hospitals.I then prepare and submit reports to the superintendent accordingly. Additionally,I assist
in the staff development training at the institution, conduct and review evaluation reports and assist
in the training of new recruits to become Correctional Officers.

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153RD INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTSʼPAPERS
The Criminal Justice System includes:

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The Department of Correctional Services (DCS)
Vision, Mission and Correctional Process

VISION STATEM ENT
We are serving the needs of all our clients by creating and facilitating opportunities for theirempowerment and rehabilitation, resulting in a more peaceful, caring and productive society.
MISSION STATEM ENT
To contribute to the safety and protection of our society by keeping offenders secure and facilitating
their rehabilitation and reintegration as law‑abiding citizens, while developing a professional andcommitted staff.
CORRECTIONAL PROCESSOne which provides to those in our care a relevant,structured,therapeutic environment to facilitate
their empowerment and rehabilitation to become peaceful, responsible and productive members ofsociety.

M AP OF JAM AICA

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