KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Leader Andrew Holness told a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament this morning that he would rather have the building of schools than prisons, in response to the UK’s announcement to build a penal institution here for Jamaicans imprisoned in Britain to complete their sentences.
Holness made the statement after welcoming British Prime Minister David Cameron on his first official visit to the island.
Noting the improvements that the UK has made in education, particularly in skills and apprenticeship, Holness noted that a similar approach should be adopted in Jamaica.
“The key lesson here is educating our people particularly in skills is the best way to spur human development to support a growth agenda and to keep the poor and dispossessed out of prison” he said.
“As it turns out, building schools contribute much more to the growth agenda than building prisons,” he added.
Cameron has promised a roughly £300 million aid package to upgrade infrastructure across the Caribbean and reinvigorate Britain’s relationship with the region.
Of that sum, £25 million will go towards funding the construction of a prison here, where the Jamaicans incarcerated in England will complete sentences.
The Opposition leader also outlined several areas where Jamaica and the United Kingdom had improved ties and welcomed the “genuine interest of Prime Minister Cameron in advancing the relationship between our two countries on trade and investment and security”.
Keleshia Powell
Building prison instead of schools.. Shows you the mindset of who we’er dealing with.. How building prison going to cut the crime rate? Do they even care about that? Our government should’ve turn their backs on mr cameron. The audacity! Could find money to build prison but not for reparation and im arguing with some Jamaican who thinks we need to move on and don’t ask for it because they feel like slavery is over and jamaican too licky licky smh
More schools yes but who will be the ones paying out the money for the unskilled cement mixer dem , the old lady who died 10 years ago will be on the pay roll still as a brick layer and the multimillion dollar wall that cost to billed…..my point is boss u guys so rass corrupt they scared to give you all money to build school , hospital or prison. look at what that pretty one from Saint Ann did the other day …all now it can’t clear up…EVERYBODY HAVE IDEAS BUT COME TIME U ALL GET THE MONEY IS A DIFFERENT STORY . mi love your house up on BEVERLY HILLS on a clear day when the rain nah come through mi zinc roof top, i can look up and admire it …..BEAUTIFUL. IT GIVE MI DRY UP RIB CAGE FATHERLESS SON something to dream about….I can’t wait for the day you all decide to go to the UN together and the plane have engine trouble over the Atlantic….wipe all u guys out and then the pope send a team to colonize that wicked country .
Clear up? There is not clear that it a go clear wid she cause as someone bring something up u badmine she. We have a prime minister that is uneducated and a run di country..an opposition that is too weak to plan strategy
Met, there is no rass national pride in majority Jamaicans! Dem pride lower than ants belly! Everything have fi do wid phucking orange OR green and a so the propaganda blind the damn retards.
Jamaica should have gone the same way as America…down with the empire of great britian lordship! all that overseer position of governor general shouldn’t even exist today day. We are still plantation property because we never cut ties, see portia a play the role as governor of the monarch and that sneaky little devil pj patterson in the background!
Di man pan di radio seh dem sound like slave …is a big slave dat..di one ms portia. bout britain do nuff fi we like dem did have a choice???????? How she really go tek this prison deal doe PP?? Cameron seh di money can help wi in trade so Im lost as to what the money is for
Cameron a de least of Jamaica problem. PJ patterson is behind Portia dumbass decisions. Dat ole thief yu see de!
All the glama politician…jus watch the ride.Dem a treat Jamaica like a fiefdom…dem personal little monarchy and a assign barons and baronesses to the parishes.
Same suh…Jus like how Seaga did a control JLP..Election a come next year PP some a dem a look money fi campaign
member wen micheal manly did a guh fi build more school and the sed britian and us sanction the man nd threaten tuh cut off the help….
Of course they would! Look around di globe, which black superpower country you see? Of course dem nuh into education fi black ppl collectively that would be too damn threatening fi dem. How the hell there can be so many blakc nations and not one a superpower? it ain’t an accident.
As mi seh from last night, dis prison deal not going to advance the country and allow it fi compete pon di global scale, how many Jamaicans running Fortune 500 companies? influencing science and technology? But a prison wi fi liddung wid fi bring een more criminals pon di island, oddawise is deze every rass program fi send ppl abroad fi wuck fi slave wage, separate families juss fi earn foreign exchange fi carry di nation because di government cannot find industries and opportunities for the populace to live and work comfortably in their own land. Selling every and anything to outsiders? We paying too high a price constantly. One day di ppl living in Jamaica and calling demselves Jamaicans will have no history to the island except dem bought dem way in.
bwoy met running the country and doing a good job is really two different thing . gone are the days when somebody with 2 cents of sense ran that island . its has come down to who is popular to get the most votes. then u get a position. Thats why they do whatever it takes to get the LBS OF RICE TO THE VOTERS to get the vote . by all means necessary. AND THE FUNNY THING IS THIS .THE REST OF THE WORLD SEE ALL A THIS, THATS WHY THEY CAN SAY ANYTHING TO THE HEADS OF JAMAICA NO MATTER HOW INSULTING IT IS WITH A STRAIGHT FACE. I would love to have cameron mic up on his way to JA and listen to the conversation him and his staff had. i cringe to imagine.
DOG SH!T THEM BRITISH. I CAN IMAGINE THEY CANT WAIT TO FIND SOME FORM OF LIFE ON MARS TO RUN GUH COLONIZE IT AND USE THE MARTIANS AS SLAVE TO BRING BACK THEM ECONOMY.
so uk pm 25 million sterling prison in jamaica for jamacan prisoner in the uk!!! why him never build a 25 million factory and facilities ! so jamaica start import retuning criminal fi a price
Why wasnt the Jamaican public educated about this deal before Portia sign it..who voted on it??????
You keep typing she signed, I have yet to see anywhere in the news saying she signed anything. They are in talks stop misinforming people.
Do not worry about any information I am providing. Worry about yourself and what you are reading
Vote? Portia do as she please. As the first female prime minister she really f**k up the country.
how can we get amnesty international to come deal with these Jcan politicians? Jamaica need improved primary health care and community health care access, and major improvement to the education system and strategies to improve the economy and dunce bat a sign paper fi prison?????!!!!! like wth is wrong with these licky licky frighten ppl here, like who are these ppl accountable to?????
WHY U THINK SHE NEVER WANT THE MEDIA TO QUESTION HIM !
dwl, di man haffi cum build prison caz di amount a Jamaicans him plan fi deport cant hold inna di prison dem we have aredy…. JA get fuk yah sa!