A/HRC/16/52/Add.3
which led to a relatively high number of detentions of uncontrollable children. He was
further concerned by the fact that many children seemed to receive disproportionately long
sentences for minor infractions.
51.
The Special Rapporteur witnessed two opposite ends of the spectrum in the
conditions of detention in the places visited. At Diamond Crest Juvenile Correctional
Centre for girls, the Special Rapporteur could sense an overall positive atmosphere and the
well-being of the girls. The openness of the facility and the genuine interest of the staff
were very reassuring. The girls went to school, had the opportunity to practice sports and
spend time outside and do other recreational activities. Perhaps more important was the fact
that their dormitories did not have locks and the grills surrounding the veranda by the
dormitories remained open most of the day.
52.
The Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre for boys is a closed facility. The Special
Rapporteur received complaints of ill-treatment, although the punishment cells were
apparently not used very frequently. The boys also went to school and were allowed to play
sports outdoors for several hours each day, although they were not allowed to go outside
during the weekends.
53.
By contrast, St. Andrew Juvenile Remand Centre for boys was governed by a
system of repression and regular corporal punishment. Only the boys who had been
sentenced were allowed to go outside for specific projects, while those on remand were
never allowed to leave the buildings, thus deprived of any recreational activities in the open
air. The Special Rapporteur also received numerous allegations of corporal punishment,
including beatings on the buttocks with wooden boards and being forced to kneel for
prolonged periods of time with their hands in the air. The acting overseers admitted that
kneeling was used as punishment. They seemed to be aware of the use of corporal
punishment by certain warders, and although they stated that an internal investigation was
initiated when a boy presented a complaint, they did not give the impression of taking
serious measures to deal with the situation. At the time of the visit, four persons were
interdicted, but their investigations had been ongoing for almost four years, with no
concluding date in sight.
54.
Also worrying was the fact that the Fort Augusta Correctional Centre for Women
and the Horizon Remand Centre for men are adult institutions that also hold children. At
Fort Augusta, although the girls had separate dormitories, they were not segregated from
the women, in contravention of international human rights standards. This was also the case
at police stations, where the Special Rapporteur expressed concern that children were held
together with adults, as was the case at Montego Bay police station. The current practice of
confining children in institutions equipped and staffed for adults cannot meet their special
needs. Children should be placed in adequate, specialized facilities.
Incident at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre
55.
The Special Rapporteur interviewed several girls who had witnessed the fire at the
Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre on 22 May 2009. In addition, he was provided with
a copy of the report of the Armadale enquiry, although it has not yet been made public. The
Commission of Enquiry was tasked with investigating the causes and consequences of the
fire; the response of the management to the outbreak of the fire; the behaviour of the
children detained at the institution before and during the fire; and the response of the
emergency services and the effect these had on the origin, control and consequences of the
fire.
56.
According to the report, the Office dormitory, which was consumed by the fire,
contained seven double-bunk beds with 14 mattresses, and measured 20 feet by 12 feet. The
dormitory had been considered unfit for occupancy by the Property Manager for the
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