THE EDITOR, Sir:AT A lecture series promoted by the Manage-ment Institute for National Development (MIND) the conceptualiser of Highway 2000 stated that prisoners should not occupy valuable waterfront real estate. In the print media of 8/06/05 it was revealed that a project that rivals Highway 2000 is on the way (no pun intended). To my dismay plans were revealed for the building of a modern state-of-the-art 5000 inmate facility in Amity, St. Catherine.
Of the seven existing adult correctional centres, three are in St. Catherine, namely Tamarind Farm, Fort Augusta and St. Catherine District Facility and another three in the Corporate Area and one in St. Mary. Crime statistics will show that wherever the prisoners are located the crime rate is high. The people of St. Catherine need no more prisons. What we need is the establishment of modern manufacturing facilities that will utilise the unused potential of our youths. Our youths are desperate for some form of hope that will give their young lives relevance. Prisons will not do.
What kind of message are we sending them? The reason why they go to school is to be educated so that they can contribute to society. What they need are state-of-the-art training facilities so that when the investment comes they will get their opportunity to earn something. National development does not include the building of prisons and this should not be supported by the people of St. Catherine and by extension Jamaica.
Come July 2005 thousands of our youths will be graduating and to what may I ask? How many will find jobs? How many will end up in the prison; how many in the morgue and how many lives will they destroy before they are taken down? Our youths are our future. Don't build PRISONS for them.
I am, etc.,
HOWARD HAMILTON
Portmore Pines
St. Catherine
