Prison inmates earn primary school certificates
Since taking over management of Hattieville Prison in August of last year, the Kolbe Foundation has pursued a low key approach to public relations…but improvements at the facility have been ongoing. Escapes are down and a new semblance of order and discipline has been established, along with more humane treatment and increased opportunities for rehabilitation. Today, News 5’s Jacqueline Woods observed one small step on the road to meaningful prison reform.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Twenty-year-old David Jones is serving a life sentence at the Hattieville Prison for murder. Jones hopes that one day he will be released from jail, but he understands that he may very well grow old behind bars. Although it’s a reality that many young offenders find hard to accept, Jones has the made the decision to spend his time completing what he never got to do when he was a free man.
Today, Jones along with six other inmates, he received a certificate after completing a six month primary school education programme. The programme is designed to give inmates, who never completed primary school, a certificate in the areas of math, science and English. At the time of the murder, Jones was attending the Centre of Employment Training Institute, but he says his studies came to an abrupt end after he was found guilty.
David Jones, Student Inmate, P.S.E. Programme
“When the murder took place, I just stop school and came to jail. I use to go to CET, I never took any B.N.S.E., nothing so when they told me about the P.S.E. here I decide to take it cause then I never did have chance to do it.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What do you think about this course, you think it is something that the prison should continue?”
David Jones
“The prison should continue to do this for the younger generation because a lot of the kids from boot camp nevah had no chance to get an education and nuff a them still noh want follow up their education. So if they have somebody behind them, especially like how they deh dah jail, they wah do it and they wah lookout for themselves and they could make better fi themselves when they reach back dah road.”
The course, which started last November, was difficult for most of the student inmates and thirteen never did complete the programme. But despite the distractions, seven young men between the ages of sixteen and twenty remain committed.
Jerys Martinez, Student Inmate
“Due to the fact that I am doing a sentence and I no have nothing positive to do and this is giving me a chance to try and uplift myself.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How challenging was it?”
Jerys Martinez
“Well it wasn’t really challenging because as far as I am concerned, it’s just something to keep me busy then.”
“I would recommend that this programme be continued because then for most of us right it was like an adventure. Some of these guys like everyday they wait for the class to start.”
Presently, Martinez is serving a three and a half year sentence for burglary. The inmates were taught by Jesuit volunteer Jeff Burl. Burl says he has been impressed with the interest expressed by the inmates and hopes the business community will help to make the entire process work.
Jeff Burl, Teacher, P.S.E. Programme
“I think that they can help out in so many ways even if they don’t have a job available for the students, refer them, help them with job skills, help them. Say you need to do this or why don’t you go talk to this friend; this won’t work for you, you need to get a Social Security card. Some of the ways they can help, just being open to them, not shutting their doors to these students.”
David Jones
“I am trying to make an effort in my life to join the programme so I can be a better person instead of having to just be at jail and waste my life and not doing nothing to try and help myself to go back in society to try and change. Cause jail dah noh a good life for nobody live cause it is hard it is a very hard bad and nobody noh wah help you in jail, you have to help yourself. So if you don’t lookout for yourself in jail time nothing will happen to you.”
The graduation ceremony was the second of its kind to take place at Hattieville Prison. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Burl, who has been with the P.S.E. programme for two years, is scheduled to leave the country in July. The Kolbe Foundation has plans to continue the programme.
