KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of National Security says it continues to place emphasis on capacity building of the security force with the graduation of 167 Department of Correctional Services (DCS) recruits from the Carl Rattray Staff College in Runaway Bay, St Ann yesterday.

The graduates included 23 Probation Aftercare Officers (19 females and four males) and 144 Correctional Officers (125 males and 19 females) and represented the 77th intake of correctional officers.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Rudyard Spencer, congratulated the new graduates of Batch No. 2019-01 for successfully completing their training schedule.

“I want to congratulate you on completing 12 weeks of vigorous training. I am confident that you will utilize your skills garnered through this training, to aid with the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of the offenders into society,” he was quoted as saying in a release from the ministry.

Spencer reminded the new correctional officers, that they will be charged with transforming the lives of those inmates in the care of the DCS.

“Our primary goal is to create exemplary citizens who are willing and capable of making significant contributions to developing themselves, their families and their country,” he said.

In addition to the strategic progress in the human resource arm of the DCS, the ministry said that there are significant infrastructure developments to come for the institutions.

Spencer pointed out that through strategic partnerships there has been several improvements to Carl Rattray Staff College including the partial renovation and upgrading of the kitchen, storage areas, recruit block, executive blocks; resurfacing of parade square; renovation and expansion of the Armoury and Ammunition Bunker; and the construction of a perimeter fence.