Incarceration as a System of Oppression: Exploring the Treatment and Experiences of Children in Jamaica's Juvenile Correctional Facilities

The proposed project will explore the treatment and experiences of children who are incarcerated in Jamaica. The rates of offending and incarceration of children in the state are very high, and some are detained for extended periods in police 'lock ups' and in prisons which are believed to be inappropriate and unsuitable for 1) the nature of the offences they have allegedly committed, which can include low level status offences such as running away from home or breaching curfew - and 2) for the punishment of children. Developing an understanding of how and why children are incarcerated, and how they are treated when they are and the impact this has on them, is crucially important in terms of our academic knowledge and potentially influencing policy and practice in this area.