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<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="color: #CC0000">High cost inmates</span></span></span>
BY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer [email protected]
Sunday, November 16, 2008
<span style="font-weight: bold">Jamaica spent more money to care for a prison inmate than was paid to a police constable, Jamaica Defence Force private, fireman, or teacher</span> in the last financial year, figures obtained from state agencies and the teachers' union show.
According to information provided by the Department of Correctional Services a fortnight ago, for the financial year ending March 2008, the correctional services spent $689,644.87 on each of the island's 3,584 prison inmates.
This compares to the basic salary of $582,000 per annum, minus housing allowance, paid to a young constable; the basic annual salary of $495,467 paid to a firefighter; the $584,000 per annum paid to a private in the defence force; and $628,526 in annual salary paid to a teacher with a diploma.
One firefighter was sarcastic in his response when he was contacted by the Sunday Observer. "You see that <span style="font-weight: bold">we are working for nothing</span>," he said on condition of anonymity. "We don't even have the proper uniforms to do our jobs."
Other government-paid officials, on being presented with the data, were not amused. However, they declined to comment.
A look at the figures shows that even when a firefighter's housing allowance of $148,640 per annum is added to his salary, he still takes home less than is spent on a prisoner.
The Jamaica Teachers Association said last week that as at March 2008 a trained teacher with a Teacher's Diploma receives $628,526 annually, plus a $22,000 allowance for books, software and technology. Combined, the sum is $650,526, still $39,118.87 below the cost to maintain each inmate.
Prisoners also fare better than untrained teacher graduates who receive a starting salary of $630,412. Added to the software, books and technology allowance the sum is $652,412, still $37,232.87 less than the cost to maintain an inmate.
Trained graduate teachers' basic salary is, however, more than the annual amount spent on a convict.
Over the years, the Correctional Department has made efforts to become more efficient and has actually saved money on food purchases by producing and baking some of what is consumed by inmates, who are given three meals daily.
In 2006, Commissioner of Corrections Major Richard Reese said that $65 million had been saved on meals, after the correctional services returned to self-catering, reducing to $4 per day the cost of feeding an inmate.
However, prison officials say that as inmates advance in age the cost to maintain them increases.
Of the 3,584 prisoners, 655 are serving life sentences, with the youngest being 22 years old and the oldest being 73.
Eight convicts are on death row, the youngest of them a 25-year-old, while the oldest is 42 years old.
"All inmates receive similar diets, except those who are placed on special diets on the advice of medical doctors," the Correctional Department said in response to a Sunday Observer query.
For years, there have been calls for inmates to produce as much of the foods that they consume, and work to assist the victims of their crimes.
link ..
BY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer [email protected]
Sunday, November 16, 2008
<span style="font-weight: bold">Jamaica spent more money to care for a prison inmate than was paid to a police constable, Jamaica Defence Force private, fireman, or teacher</span> in the last financial year, figures obtained from state agencies and the teachers' union show.
According to information provided by the Department of Correctional Services a fortnight ago, for the financial year ending March 2008, the correctional services spent $689,644.87 on each of the island's 3,584 prison inmates.
This compares to the basic salary of $582,000 per annum, minus housing allowance, paid to a young constable; the basic annual salary of $495,467 paid to a firefighter; the $584,000 per annum paid to a private in the defence force; and $628,526 in annual salary paid to a teacher with a diploma.
One firefighter was sarcastic in his response when he was contacted by the Sunday Observer. "You see that <span style="font-weight: bold">we are working for nothing</span>," he said on condition of anonymity. "We don't even have the proper uniforms to do our jobs."
Other government-paid officials, on being presented with the data, were not amused. However, they declined to comment.
A look at the figures shows that even when a firefighter's housing allowance of $148,640 per annum is added to his salary, he still takes home less than is spent on a prisoner.
The Jamaica Teachers Association said last week that as at March 2008 a trained teacher with a Teacher's Diploma receives $628,526 annually, plus a $22,000 allowance for books, software and technology. Combined, the sum is $650,526, still $39,118.87 below the cost to maintain each inmate.
Prisoners also fare better than untrained teacher graduates who receive a starting salary of $630,412. Added to the software, books and technology allowance the sum is $652,412, still $37,232.87 less than the cost to maintain an inmate.
Trained graduate teachers' basic salary is, however, more than the annual amount spent on a convict.
Over the years, the Correctional Department has made efforts to become more efficient and has actually saved money on food purchases by producing and baking some of what is consumed by inmates, who are given three meals daily.
In 2006, Commissioner of Corrections Major Richard Reese said that $65 million had been saved on meals, after the correctional services returned to self-catering, reducing to $4 per day the cost of feeding an inmate.
However, prison officials say that as inmates advance in age the cost to maintain them increases.
Of the 3,584 prisoners, 655 are serving life sentences, with the youngest being 22 years old and the oldest being 73.
Eight convicts are on death row, the youngest of them a 25-year-old, while the oldest is 42 years old.
"All inmates receive similar diets, except those who are placed on special diets on the advice of medical doctors," the Correctional Department said in response to a Sunday Observer query.
For years, there have been calls for inmates to produce as much of the foods that they consume, and work to assist the victims of their crimes.
link ..