KINGSTON, Jamaica – Four inmates and two correctional services officers are to benefit from scholarships to study for an Associate Degree in Business Administration at the University at the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) under a government and private-sector partnership.
From left, seated: Commissioner of Corrections, Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), Gary Rowe; Deputy Executive Chair, University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) Group, Geraldine Adams; and Executive Director, Stand up for Jamaica, Carla Gullotta signing the Memorandum of Understanding.A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the award of the six full scholarships, was signed on Wednesday by representatives from the Ministry of National Security, Department of Correctional Services (DCS), the UCC, and non-governmental organization (NGO), Stand Up for Jamaica.
The scholarships will be offered to both male and female inmates and correctional officers at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, and the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre, Kingston.
They will benefit from fully paid tuition, appropriately equipped labs, books, materials, and student support services, to facilitate online classes.
State Minister in the Ministry of National Security Zavia Mayne in his address at the virtual signing ceremony, said that the award of the six scholarships is “a step in the right direction” as the Ministry and its stakeholders seek to provide more opportunities for learning in correctional facilities.
He noted that the Ministry and the DCS are committed to “giving inmates hope for a better future and the opportunity to become better versions of themselves, once they have served their time and are released back into the wider society”.
Commissioner of Corrections, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), Gary Rowe, said that the DCS is dedicated to the higher education and rehabilitation of inmates in its care, as well as the welfare of the officers within its institutions.
He said that the award of the scholarships “signifies that people in prisons are capable and that if the bar is set high, people can rise to the occasion”.
He noted that it also indicates that “we are making strides as we implement measures to enhance the individual development of our inmates as they prepare for successful reintegration into society”.
The scholarship award is a continuation of a pilot initiative that commenced in January 2020 at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, which saw full tuition being paid for four inmates and one correctional officer to pursue a two-year Associate Degree in Business Administration.
