“Do not stop at this finish line. Set your sights on the next race. Pursue further studies, start businesses, mentor others and keep showing Jamaica that your past does not dictate your future,” Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, the Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn emphasised.
She made the statement with reference to the academic accomplishment of 10 inmates, who earned both Associate and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Business Administration.
The State Minister was speaking at the graduation ceremony for the 2025 cohort of inmates from St. Catherine Adult, South Camp and Tower Street Adult Correctional Centres. The ceremony was held on Tuesday (August 12) at the Department of Correctional Services Recruitment and Training Centre in Kingston, through partnership with University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and Stand Up For Jamaica.
“I have seen men and women proving that learning changes not just minds, but our entire lives ... Graduates, take this moment in. You have worked for it. You have earned it and you have changed the story... your story, forever!” Minister Cuthbert-Flynn underscored.
The State Minister further added that “I see proof that with determination, opportunity and support, transformation is not just possible, it is unstoppable.”
She noted that the academic achievements of the inmates are testaments of the success of the DCS’ rehabilitation architecture and lauded the Department for charting the course for change.
In congratulating the graduates, the State Minister encouraged them to “keep going, keep growing, and keep proving that the best is yet to come.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Corrections, Brigadier (Ret’d) Radgh Mason, in his address pointed out that “for years, we have understood that rehabilitation is not merely about containment, it is about transformation. Education and vocational training are two of the most powerful tools we have to combat the criminogenic factors that lead individuals into conflict with the law.”
He explained that “by equipping persons in our care with the knowledge, skills and discipline to navigate life productively, we are not only changing individual lives we are strengthening families, communities and the nation.”
The valedictorian who earned Summa Cum Laude in his remarks shared that “behind every achievement today is a story of struggle, strength and survival. We didn't just earn degrees we reclaimed our dignity.”
The Memorandum of Understanding between the DCS, UCC and Stand Up for Jamaica was first signed in January 2020 to benefit inmates at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre. It was later renewed and extended to the inmates at South Camp and Tower Street Adult Correctional Centres in February 2022.
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