Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre

Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre, formerly Fort Augusta Prison, is Jamaica's only prison for women.[1] It was built to accommodate 250 female inmates[2] but has held over 280 on occasions.[2][3] It has been known to run short of food.[4]

Fort Augusta Prison
Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre
LocationPortmore, St Catherine, Jamaica
Coordinates17.9666245°N 76.847949°W / 17.9666245; -76.847949
StatusOperational
Security classMaximum security
Capacity250
PopulationUp to 280
Managed byOperated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security

It is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security.

Fort Augusta was originally an ocean side fortress built by the English in the 1740s to provide the main defence for Kingston Harbour’s west side.[5] It was completed in the 1750s and named Fort Augusta in honour of the mother of King George III.[1] In 1763 lightning struck the fort and its three thousand barrels of gunpowder causing an explosion that broke windows 17 miles away and killed three hundred people.[1][5] The shocks created a crater which had to be filled before reconstruction could begin.[1] During the American Revolution the fort was occupied by the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment.

The remains of the fortress now consists of massive crumbling walls of brick that have been fortified with other materials (including barbed wire).[5]

Some years ago, the DCS sold the land on which Fort Augusta sits to the Port Authority of Jamaica.[5] At the time, the DCS had plans to build a 5000 inmate prison that would accommodate both males and females and relieve the overcrowding faced by most prisons in Jamaica.[5][6] However, while the new facility is long in coming a move is still anticipated so no one is willing to do any renovations to Fort Augusta.[5]

On March 2, 2017 Fort Augusta inmates were relocated to the south camp rehabilitation center.

In April 2020 it was announced that the Jamaican government intends to use Fort Augusta as a half way house and counselling center for returning deportees.[7]

See also

References
  1. Fort Augusta Archived 2009-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
  2. Makeshift weapons increasing prison deaths, Tyrone Reid, Jamaica Gleaner, 2004-02-08.
  3. Comparison of daily averages* over a 10 year period (1997-2006) by institution and sex Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Department Of Correctional Services, 2007.
  4. Prisoners Abroad News Volume 16 Issue 2 Summer 2005, Jamaica Archived 2009-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Page 5-6.
  5. Behind these walls, Part 2, Christina Xu, 2007-07-19.
  6. New prison set to be built, JIS, Jamaica Gleaner, 2007-10-24.
  7. Jamaica Star: April 17th, 2020: Fort Augusta to be renovated to house deportees
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