Following five months of face-to-face teaching and learning at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, eight (8) inmates and two correctional officers, successfully completed a Certificate of Achievement program in Entertainment Business, which was offered through the Institute of Caribbean Studies at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona.

This journey of education and personal growth concluded at The UWI Mona Prison Project Certificate Ceremony on August 22 in the Chapel at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre (TSACC).

In attendance were guests who recognized the importance of rehabilitation through education from the Jamaican Government and the Mona Campus. These included The Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, and Mr. Marc Thomas, Commissioner of Corrections. In attendance from The UWI were Professor Silvia Kouwenberg, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, Dr. Dave Gosse, Director of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah, Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Caribbean Studies, and, Ms. Shanell Bailey, the Project Lead. Senior members from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and the Ministry of Justice, as well as family members of the graduates were also present. The dedicated instructors who participated in this initiative were Dr. Dennis Howard, Mr. Don McDowell, and Mrs. Georgette McGlashen-Miller.

Prof. Kouwenberg in her address, cited The UWI-Mona Prison Project (UMPP) as a “dream come true” for three reasons; it supports The UWI’s goal to reach everyone in Jamaica and in the Caribbean region, it aligns with The UWI’s identity as an activist university, and it allows The Faculty of Humanities and Education to deliver a programme in a subject where they are academic leaders.

Prison populations, according to Prof Kouwenberg, are surely among the “underserved populations”, and since it is really not so easy to reach underserved populations, this project represents an opportunity for us to make good on the University’s promise to do so.

“For us to be given the opportunity to be of service, to play what we hope to be a transformative role in the lives of some of those present here, and to show the society what can be achieved when prisoners are treated as persons with ambitions and the desire to develop themselves, is a form of activism. This project allows us therefore to embody that UWI identity.”

The graduating cohort included 8 incarcerated students and two (2) correctional officers: Carl Graham, Rohan Knight, Oniel Lawrence, Deverton Murray, Travn Proudlove, Jefferey Sutherland (valedictorian), Lancelot Thomas, Dovan Trowers, Jermaine Watson, and Kevin Young. Their successes in the programme stand as living proof of the transformative power of education, resilience, and determination.

The Valedictorian, Mr. Sutherland, delivered a thoughtfully prepared and eloquently presented speech, challenging both the graduates and their guests to embrace education as a vital means of rehabilitation and personal advancement. In his delivery, he expressed that “It was during the darkest moments of our lives we made a decision --- a decision to not let our past define us but to use it as fuel for our future.

“We embarked on a journey of self-improvement, seeking opportunities for growth and education within the confines of our cells. We are forever grateful to The UWI Institute of Caribbean Studies, Bard Prison Initiative, Incarceration Nation Network, and the DCS for awakening the intellectual passion that resides in us, with the ground-breaking of the very first tertiary face-to-face class in a Jamaican Prison,” Mr Sutherland said while also noting several areas for improvement in the prison system that can be addressed by government and universities.

Giving her assessment of the growth of the initiative, Project Lead, Shanell Bailey said: “I am extremely proud of everyone involved in this effort, including the instructors and our students at Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre. University-in-prison programmes have the potential to improve reintegration outcomes and build a more positive future for justice-impacted people in Jamaica and the UWI Mona Prison Project is another effort in the right direction. Quality education can be a gateway to equity and I am excited to see how this programme develops.”

This first cohort of The UWI Prison Project is testament to the reach and impact of The UWI and its commitment to improving the lives of those who have been incarcerated. The initiative underscores the importance of education to the rehabilitation process and strongly supports the local thrust to reduce recidivism across the national plain.  

In her closing remarks, Prof Kouwenberg said “this first offering of the Entertainment Business Certificate at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre will surely not be the last. For the recipients of the Certificate, I trust that this is a first step on the road to higher education, and that it will be followed by further steps, whether at The UWI or elsewhere.”