Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre

Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre
Map
LocationDiamond Crest Villa, Manchester Parish
Previous location: Alexandria, St Ann, Jamaica
Coordinates18°17′41″N 77°21′41″W / 18.294639°N 77.361292°W / 18.294639; -77.361292
StatusOperational
Security classMedium
Capacity40
Managed byOperated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security

Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre was built to accommodate 40 girls.[1] It is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security.

On 22 May 2009 a fire went through the facility, killing 5 girls and injuring 13 girls. The 45 surviving prisoners, who were aged 13 to 16, were temporarily placed in the Stony Hill Heart Academy in St. Andrew Parish and the Horizon Remand Centre in west Kingston. Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding ordered the closure of the burned Armadale facility. Government investigations showed that the incident occurred after a Jamaican Police officer set the place on fire after having been rejected by a young teen girl he had tried to lure into sexual relations with him. The replacement facility is located in Diamond Crest Villa near Alligator Pond in Manchester Parish.[2]

  1. ^ Project 2005 Archived 2007-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, Sashane McDonald, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen.
  2. ^ "Armadale girls get fresh start - New home at Diamond Crest, Manchester" (Archive). The Gleaner. Sunday 31 May 2009. Retrieved on March 31, 2015.