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prisnaz fi wuk... gov't need fi mek dem wuk pon farm and produce food fi people...
dem nuh waan be free an wuk fi a livin... dem mek dem stay captive an wuk fi 'free'... basickley dats i'm saying...
Gov't to put more prisoners to work
BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
MORE low-risk prisoners are to be used on projects across the island, as Government moves to cut its labour costs.
"With what is happening the Government is looking to cut cost in every way it can and this is one way we will have to use the resources of the inmates to reduce the cost to the public sector," Junior Security Minister Senator Arthur Williams told the Observer yesterday.
A prison official (in foreground) supervises inmates clearing overgrown vegetation in Portmore yesterday, as part of the Inmate Public Work Programme. (Photo: Kimmo Matthews)
He cautioned, however, that proper security measures had to be put in place to ensure the proper monitoring of the inmates.
He was speaking after the official launch of the Inmate Public Work Programme - a project of the Department of Correctional Services.
The inmates will be working on 10 projects across the island over the next few months, under the programme.
Yesterday the inmates bushed overgrown vegetation in sections of Portmore Pines and Silverstone in St Catherine, where residents said they feared for their safety.
The work was applauded by residents of the two communities in the municipality.
"We believe this is a move in the right direction; the prisoners them use up our tax dollars to be maintained, therefore, we believe they should be put to work," said one resident yesterday.
"Annually the Government pays millions to contractors and their workers to carry out several projects, we believe that the use of more inmates in these projects could help to cut cost tremendously," said a security ministry spokesman.
Acting Commissioner of Corrections June Spence-Jarrett told the Observer that for last year 18 projects were carried out across the island using inmates at a cost of $2 million to the Government. She said it would cost more than $40 million if the work was given to outside contractors.
It cost the state approximately $700,000 annually to maintain each inmate in the correctional institution.
dem nuh waan be free an wuk fi a livin... dem mek dem stay captive an wuk fi 'free'... basickley dats i'm saying...
Gov't to put more prisoners to work
BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
MORE low-risk prisoners are to be used on projects across the island, as Government moves to cut its labour costs.
"With what is happening the Government is looking to cut cost in every way it can and this is one way we will have to use the resources of the inmates to reduce the cost to the public sector," Junior Security Minister Senator Arthur Williams told the Observer yesterday.
A prison official (in foreground) supervises inmates clearing overgrown vegetation in Portmore yesterday, as part of the Inmate Public Work Programme. (Photo: Kimmo Matthews) He cautioned, however, that proper security measures had to be put in place to ensure the proper monitoring of the inmates.
He was speaking after the official launch of the Inmate Public Work Programme - a project of the Department of Correctional Services.
The inmates will be working on 10 projects across the island over the next few months, under the programme.
Yesterday the inmates bushed overgrown vegetation in sections of Portmore Pines and Silverstone in St Catherine, where residents said they feared for their safety.
The work was applauded by residents of the two communities in the municipality.
"We believe this is a move in the right direction; the prisoners them use up our tax dollars to be maintained, therefore, we believe they should be put to work," said one resident yesterday.
"Annually the Government pays millions to contractors and their workers to carry out several projects, we believe that the use of more inmates in these projects could help to cut cost tremendously," said a security ministry spokesman.
Acting Commissioner of Corrections June Spence-Jarrett told the Observer that for last year 18 projects were carried out across the island using inmates at a cost of $2 million to the Government. She said it would cost more than $40 million if the work was given to outside contractors.
It cost the state approximately $700,000 annually to maintain each inmate in the correctional institution.