Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre (entrance)

I recently concluded a series of human rights workshops with inmates at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre,  located in Portmore, St. Catherine (Jamaica). The experience has left me hopeful–on account of participants’ enthusiasm to learn about human rights and quickly apply their newly honed skills to secure better living standards and quality of life; as well as institutional leaders’ enthusiasm to obtain materials and demand that workshops be designed for them as well.

Over the duration of my visit I have sought to: impart knowledge about human rights, advocacy, the Access to Information Act, networking and communications, leadership, conflict, group development, and participatory governance; transfer skills in: leadership, advocacy, and networking and communications; and gather data about inmates’ experiences realizing their economic and social rights (ESR), as well as the preparedness of Fort Augusta for development and participatory governance, via large group discussions, surveys, face-to-face conversations, and general observation.

View of Rehabilitation Unit and Training Rooms at Fort Augusta

It was quite encouraging finding that both the inmates and staff were interested in learning about human rights, not merely in order to protect themselves, but to better serve the Fort Augusta community. In fact, in conversations with institutional leaders such as the superintendents, assistant superintendents, and officers, I was asked to use my findings to help them lobby for and integrate a human rights approach in their work. Critical human rights tools were requested and disseminated to institutional leaders and inmates, and I was given the charge, by inmates and Superintendent Pitter to advocate to the Ministry of National Security (MNS) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to take their human rights challenges seriously and consider mainstreaming it within the institution. To fulfill this charge, I must now assume the role of advocate in order to represent the issue to the various stakeholders.

In addition to universal education about human rights, which staff and inmates had consensus about. Inmates also noted that particular situations needed urgent attention if the institution was to be seen as fulfilling their fundamental rights as laid out in the: Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Corrections Act (Jamaica). The major complaints of the inmates are listed below:

1. Absence of a decent and routine family day–We don’t get to touch our kids, even if they visit. Of the 19 participants who were present at the Assessment Workshop, 10 were mothers who attested to not seeing their children in over one year. Of the 10 inmates who had not seen their children, at least six of them are Jamaicans, who have children in the island. The inability to see children is worsened by the fact that telephone calls to children are only permitted during the week and at hours when they are at school,
2. Roach infestation–I work in the kitchen and both it and the laundry area are infested with roaches. Even the seasoning for the food has roaches in it,
3. Rat infestation–the rats are very big, the size of mongooses, and they are in our dorms. We can’t sleep at nights,
4. Absence of toilet and shower facilities–there are no toilets and showers in the punishment block. We have to use buckets to defaecate in. I was there for about two consecutive months and I had to use newspapers as my toilet. People pass on the outdoor of the block and see us while we bathe inside,
5. Inadequate access to medical care–persons with medical conditions and illnesses  don’t get to see a doctor until at least one month after reporting the problem. There are persons with toothache who can’t see the dentist. I have had this condition on my foot since November, and four months have lapsed since I reported it. It is worsening but I can’t get the attention of a doctor,
   
6. Inability to realize all our rights to visitors–We are short changed or our visit times, as we are allowed five minutes rather than the regulated 15 minutes. Further, only three individuals are allowed to register to visit an inmate at a time, which takes six months to process for eligibility. If there are unforeseen circumstances, like loss of employment, which impair registered visitors, the inmate will have to wait another six months before a new batch of visitors are eligible. Inmates often times do not get their special meals during holidays like Christmas, on account of this situation,
7. Lack of privacy when inmates get visitors–An officer is always there, which makes it quite difficult and uncomfortable to talk with family and get emotional support,
8. Inadequate access to telecommunications–there are three phone booths and only one is working. This situation has made it very difficult to keep in touch with family, as two dorms comprising of a maximum of 28 inmates are allowed to use the sole functioning phone. Jamaican nationals get two minutes conversational time, and non-Jamaicans get five minutes, which expires by the time the connection is made overseas,
9. Slow processing and transfer of funds–foreigners have difficulty getting their money, which is sent by relatives. One British national noted that her brother had sent her cash (pounds) in a letter in September 2008, from which she was given the letter, but not the cash. On contacting the prison administration she was told that the money was lodged and is being processed. Since being told that she made three official requests (in writing), after which she was told that she should wait for them to contact her. Six months have now passed and the money has not been given to the inmate,
10. Unavailability of nutritious food–the tuck shop supplies only sweet juices and snacks, which does not encourage a healthy diet for our physical development and monthly nutritional needs,
11. No remuneration for employment within or outside the institution
12. Lack of access to grooming tools
13. Lack of uniformity of treatment of inmates by officers

Inmates maintaining Fort Augusta's Grounds

These challenges are certainly not insurmountable, and I believe that the stakeholders of Fort Augusta–Major Reese (Permanent Secretary, MNS), Dr. Edwards-Kerr (Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, MNS), Mrs. June Jarret (Acting Commissioner of Corrections, DCS), Mrs. Mabel Morris (Inmate Welfare Coordinator, DCS), Mrs. Sylvia Passley (Rehabilitation Coordinator, DCS), Mr. Courtney Gordon (Education Coordinator, DCS), Superintendent Kelly (Fort Augusta), Superintendent Pitter (Fort Augusta), Assistant Superintendent Schloss (Fort Augusta), Corporal Appleton (Fort Augusta), and Fort Augusta inmates–have the right attitude for development. I can’t wait to see the outcome of my charge, to advocate for the institutionalization of human rights at Fort Augusta–What a model this would be for Jamaican communities,  Fort Augusta: Prepared for Development!

Leaving Fort Augusta (with the prison behind this is the road ahead)

Maldon Baptist Church, Maroon Town

Participatory governance is a central theme in contemporary development literature and has dominated much of my work with community representatives over the past three years. The leaders of the Maroon Town Community in St. James, Jamaica, got their cup full of the concept during the delivery of human rights and participatory governance workshops between January 27-29, 2009. The workshops were facilitated at the Maldon Baptist Church in the community and were attended by an average of 20 participants, on each of the three days.

The Social Development Commission (SDC) played the lead role in mobilizing community leaders and preparing the community to receive us. It was a passionate three days with leaders representing a number of district level organizations, including: Chatsworth All Age School, Maldon High School, Summer Hill SDA Church, SDC, Maldon Primary School, Maldon Baptist Basic School, Maroon Town Health Center, Summer Hill Church of God, and the District Development Committees from: Point, Vaughnsfield, Maroon Town, Flagstaff and Maldon.

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We learned about the primary economic and social challenges and concerns of residents at the personal and community levels. Community leaders learned about their economic and social rights and their shared responsibilities in the process of governance. At the workshops, it was clear that leaders were prepared to represent and articulate their community’s needs and challenges to us, but they were not prepared to hear of the huge responsibilities that they had in ensuring that their needs are attended to by relevant stakeholders, including their prioritization by elected representatives. This revelation almost brought,one community leader and pastor of a local church, to tears…

“Den a so much we have to do? After we vote we still haffi do so much. We Member of Parliament and Counselor come from here and know the problems we have with water. This is just too much!”

The socioeconomic problem/ need that resonated most frequently in the church hall was water. On Day 3, during the delivery of the Community Assessment Workshop, participants informed us about the most adverse socioeconomic problems and the effects/ impact on their lives, via an icebreaker–The Name Game:

• The water system is not good in my community because I have to buy a car to transport it. I am very frustrated with this situation
• I hate the lack of adequate water supply. We have to take it from water holes, which result in illnesses
• I am tired of the water problem and bad roads. It is so hard to get transportation because of the poor road conditions
• As the principal of a basic school in the community, I find the water situation most distressing. I pay JA$50 per drum to get water in the canteen. We are not able to store it in large quantities, and therefore as I buy for the school it runs out again. It is so unhealthy for the children
• I have been carrying water on my head for over 30 years of my life and I don’t want 40 years to catch me like this
• The bad roads are causing us to pay extra fares and higher costs for water. The road condition has also led to the underdevelopment of the primary school in Shorter’s Hill. Parents bypass our school and go to others outside the community
• The poor water system creates significant havoc for Maldon High School–affecting sanitation and water for consumption. We generally purchase water from Rapid Response, but sometimes we go as much as two weeks without its delivery. The school grounds are also very rugged and rough and the facilities for development through sports are very limited
• Poor water conditions are negatively affecting my life in my community. I have to pay JA$50 per 5 gallon bucket, and if I am unable to carry it I have to pay an additional cost
• The absence of ECG machines on the wards at Cornwall regional hospital is a serious hindrance to the life of heart patients. A family member of mine died because of the absence of this machine on the ward
• An adult learning center is needed in the community and we have lots of venues available where it can be facilitated
  
• We have so many springs and rivers in this area, why can’t we have running water in our pipes?

Other challenges in need of urgent attention included: poor road conditions, lack of benefits to the community from tourism involving their historic sites, and unemployment.

Maroon Town Community is a rural farming community, nestled in the hills of south St. James. It is an acclaimed historic site because it is home to one of Jamaica’s Maroon communities that resisted the system of slavery in the 1700s, as well as its closeness to Kensington Estate, which played a major role in the Great Jamaican Slave Revolt (Baptist War/ Christmas Revolt), which was led by national hero Samuel Sharpe and ushered in the end of slavery across the British Empire in 1833. Today, residents describe themselves as hard working farmers whose primary crops are yams and bananas. The community is comprised of 12 distinct districts, with 300-500 households in each, namely:  Flagstaff, Short Castle, George’s Valley, Maroon Town, Brown’s Town, Vaughnsfield, Dundee, Woodland, Maldon, Summer Hill, Cartel District, and Point.  The districts have access to a wide range of socioeconomic resources including: telephone, electricity, health center, churches, district and community development committees, public library, community centers, police station, People’s Cooperative Bank, high school, kindergarten schools, primary schools, rivers and water holes, post offices, hardware, and a network of community roads.

I learned from participants that the one thing that can galvanize the people of Maroon Town, St. James is water, but in order to get each resident passionate about and participating in the governance of a community water system, they would need to see the possibility of individual benefits. Since the appointment of Member of Parliament (M.P.) Derrick Kellier, unfulfilled promises about the design and implementation of a piped water system have been made, which have resulted in significant disappointment and distrust by community leaders and residents. The last promised date, by the M.P., for signs of the implementation of a community water system was October 2008. To date, no one has seen or heard of a plan, workers, equipment, or discussions relating to such.

The absence of a piped water system has forced residents to create individual solutions. This has resulted in disparity of access based on income and wealth. While Rapid Response (a mobile water trucking facility provided courtesy of the Government at a cost per gallon) serves the community, residents complain of its irregularity and untimeliness in responding to their needs. Residents have been adapting to the lack of piped water in the following ways: motor vehicle purchases to transport water from nearby communities; water purchases from independent suppliers; walks to and from water holes and rivers with containers; rainfall; Rapid Response; and chartered or route taxis to carry water as individuals commute for routine business. There is no centralized water storage facility, therefore the capacity to access stored water is based on the individual household’s capacity to build a tank, or purchase a water tank and drums. Most residents live in modern homes, fitted with pipes for amenities such as internal bathrooms and kitchens, but they are unable to live in comfort and realize an adequate living standard because of the absence of piped water.

Water Tanks

Residents noted that the spirit of community unity has been replaced by individualism–each householder, disappointed by the lack of responsiveness of the M.P., who is familiar with and knows the problems of South St. James, has sought to create an individual solution. Promoting community unity and participatory governance, they say, will be a feat in Maroon Town, but it is essential in promoting the prioritisation of community’s needs and sustainable development. To achieve this, residents must become conscious of their shared experiences of challenges and achievements, or  create new experiences of community success, and use these to stimulate a united effort for sustainable development.

Jamaica is a country with a colonial past and an entrenched slave heritage and as such Jamaicans see marginalized groups as having less entitlements that others. Prisons are seen as the place for wrong doers, who should get the heaviest hand of the law. It is therefore not surprising that our Government supports carnal punishment and solitary confinement.

Our country men and women do not have a good general knowledge about and strategic approach in defense of their economic and social (ESR) rights. After the largely slave population was emancipated in the middle to late 1800s there was never a system of institutionalizing human rights education and practice within the society. This has led to widespread violation and denial of the rights of various groups in employment, access to social services such as credit, property ownership, health care, enterprise and business, and education.

The absence of institutionalized ESR principles presents problems for those Jamaicans who are: HIV positive, homosexual, children, physically and mentally disabled, elderly, Rastafarian, poor, illiterate, prisoners, young people, living in the inner-city, rural folk, and lacking self confidence and the ability to adequately express themselves.

So to adequately answer my question, Are Jamaican Prisoners satisfied with their Human Rights? I turned to secondary and primary research. The secondary data provided the necessary information to guide me in designing the survey questions, and the completed survey tool will be used to gather primary information about prisoners levels of satisfaction. I used a Likert scale to help me in measuring satisfaction levels with different aspects of ESR. The scale will give me the opportunity to compare satisfaction levels amongst participants in the intervention.

Subsequent to gathering the data and answering the question posed by this post, I will prepare an evaluation report, which will be used as the basis of project proposals on ESR in Jamaican prisons. Additionally, the advocacy component of the intervention will assist in bringing national and institutional attention to ESR violations and improving inmates satisfaction levels with ESR.

In order to accurately test and compare experiences aimed at measuring justice, there is a definite need to conduct the survey across different socioeconomic communities. The challenge though, is that the Project targets poor/impoverished communities, so comparison is done amongst apples only, rather than between apples and grapes.

The main thrust for the recent edit of the questionnaire was to center the household head as main subject of the survey. The profile of the head as male or female was a matter of much interest, as there was now a need to know if male and female headed households had different experiences. When will the inter-class research and comparison on experiences of socioeconomic justice commence? The experiences are markedly different there. Even by mere observation one can see the difference between Barbican, West Gate Hills, and Liguanea on the one hand and Springfield, Albion Mountain, and Fletcher’s Land on the other hand in terms of their: housing stock, road conditions, access to security services, quality of schools, levels of crime, and access to work.

An efficacious strategy that is geared at measuring socioeconomic justice, at the national level, must have as its target poor, affluent, urban, rural, and minority communities, not an emphasis on one set at the expense of others. View the updated survey… Social and Economic Justice Situation Survey