Garrison Constituencies and
Economics Performances: The
Jamaican Experience
Presenters:
Kirkland Anderson
John McAllister
Jonas Semugeshi
CONTENT
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS AND FINDINGS
• CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
INTRODUCTION
Serious and violent crimes include:
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Shootings
Breakings
Larceny
Knife related incidences
Carnal Abuse
Source: Department of Statistics, Jamaica Constable Force
INTRODUCTION
Garrison in Jamaica are poor inner-city
communities controlled by either of
Jamaica’s two main political parties. They
are characterized by homogeneous and in
some cases over voting patterns for one of
the islands two political parties {Wikipedia,
2010}.
JAMAICA’S GARRISON CONSTITUENCIES
1. West Kingston
7. Kingston Central
2. South West St Andrew
8. South St Andrew
3. St. Andrew Central
9. Clarendon
Central
4. St. Andrew Western
5. St. Catherine Central
6. East Kingston and Port Royal
St. Catherine South {includes Central Village)
Source: The Politics of the Garrison in Jamaica: Electoral Manipulation Through Patronage and Violence
Kevin O'Brien Chang, (January 27, 2008)
HOW ARE GARRISON CONSTITUENCIES
CREATED?
Garrison constituencies are created by:
• the development of large scale housing schemes by the state and the location of
the houses therein to supporters of the party in power;
• homogenisation by the dominant party activist pushing out the minority from
within and guarding against invasion from outsiders
• the expected setting up of squatter community
•
The hard core garrison communities exhibit an element of autonomy,
in that they are states within a state. The Jamaican State has no authority or
power except in as far as its forces are able to invade in the form of police and
military raids (Kerr, 1997 July).
IMPACT OF SERIOUS AND
VIOLENT CRIMES
The World Bank in a recent report says crime in the
Caribbean and it's mostly referring to Jamaica - is
"undermining growth, threatening human welfare,
and impeding social development"(Biswas, 2007, May 16).
Serious and violent crimes are costly. They impose:
 concrete economic costs on the victims who survive
as well as the families of those who lose their lives.
 large costs on communities.
 significant costs on taxpayers (Shapiro, 2010).
METHODOLOGY
This research focuses on the level of
serious and violent crimes committed
in Jamaica, in particular nine
constituencies and one inner city
community {Central Village, St.
Catherine South}, all of which
demonstrate garrison characteristics
since 2007.
A quantitative approach has been adopted
utilizing secondary data such as:
• level of serious and violent crimes in the
garrison constituencies.
• cost per inmate {Spanish Town Correctional
Centre}.
• cost to the health system {Spanish Town
Hospital} for treating serious and violent
crimes such as stabbing, gun-shot wound, rape
and carnal abuse.
The data utilized were published by the following
well established entities:
•
•
•
•
Statistical Institute of Jamaica
International Monetary Funds (IMF)
Economic Watch
Criminal Investigative Agency (CIA) Fact
Book
• Jamaica Constabulary Force {JCF}
Statistical Department etc.
LIMITATION
• Unavailability of important data
Total leakages from the Jamaican
Economy are limited to:
• cost incurred by the penal system
• loss in GDP due to incarceration of
individuals
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Serious and violent crimes committed
in the garrison constituencies
% of serious and violent crimes committed in the garrison constituencies of
Jamaica in 2002
5.19
Kingston Central
4.3
Kingston East
5.17
Kingston West
10.52
39.9
St. Andrew Central
St. Andrew North
St. Andrew South
8.26
St. Catherine Central {includes Spanish
Town}
St. Catherine South {includes Central
Village}
Other areas
9.42
7.88
9.31
% of serious and violent crimes committed in the garrison
constituencies of Jamaica in 2011, 2012 & 2013
56.85
57
56
55
53.8
54
52.81
53
52
51
50
2011
2012
2013
% of serious & violent crime
committed in the garrison
constituencies
% of serious and violent crimes committed in the garrison
constituencies of Jamaica between 2011 & 2013
2.411 4.241
Kingston Central
2.933
Kingston East
11.67
Kingston West
St. Andrew Central
St. Andrew North
St. Andrew South
45.46
5.266
St. Catherine Central {includes Spanish Town}
St. Catherine South {includes Central Village}
Clarendon Central
7.422
8.266
5.777
6.543
Other areas
AVERAGE ANNUAL COST
TO THE PENAL SYSTEM
PER INMATE
2013
$845,000.00
2012
$787,592.00
( 845,000)
1 + 0.07289
2011
$732,473.00
(787,592)
1 + 0.07525
TOTAL ANNUAL COST TO THE
JAMAICAN ECONOMY DUE TO COST
INCURRED BY THE PENAL SYSTEM
COST
YEAR
2013
2012
2011
Total cost {JA$}
$2,074,475,000.00 $1,851,631,143.00 $70,823,613.00
Total cost allocated to
garrison constituencies
{JA$}
$1,116,067,550.00 $1,052,652,304.80 $ 38,117,268.52
Total cost allocated to
garrison constituencies
{US$}
US$11,075,394.96 US$11,842,190.00
US$442,812.13
TOTAL ANNUAL COST TO THE
JAMAICA ECONOMY DUE TO LOSS IN
GDP
COST
2013
Total cost {US$}
YEAR
2012
2011
2,455* US$5,600.89 =
2,351 * US$5,140.00 =
2,181 * US$4,760.00 =
US$13,750,184.95
US$12,084,140.00
US$10,381,560.00
Total cost allocated to 0.538*US$13,750,184.95
garrison
constituencies {US$}
=US$7,397,599.50
0.5685*US$12,084,140.00 0.538*US$13,750,184.95
=US$6,869,833.59
=US$7,397,599.50
TOTAL ANNUAL COST TO THE JAMAICA
ECONOMY AS A % OF GDP
COST
YEAR
2013
Total cost allocated to garrison
constituencies {US$}
2012
2011
US$11,075,394.96 + US$11,842,190.00 + US$442,812.13 +
US$7,397,599.50 =
US$6,869,833.59 =
US$18,472,994.46
US$18,712,023.59
USS$7,840,411.63
GROSS DOMESTIC
PRODUCT
US$15.477billion
US$15.249billion
US$14.778billion
TOTAL COST AS A % OF
GDP
O.119%
0.123%
0.053%
US$7,397,599.50 =
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
This research is by no means suggesting that
serious and violent crimes will be reduced by
an average of fifty five per cent with the
removal of the garrison constituencies.
However, there is no doubt that its removal
will:
lower significantly the monster of
serious and violent crimes
increase budgetary savings
 result in additional revenues
result in increased real estate values
in the areas.
Increase investments
RECOMMENDATION
The ultimate goal emanating from the
removal of garrison constituencies
should be the reduction of poverty, an
increase in skills levels so that people
have an opportunity to earn a liveable
wage. This can be achieved with the
implementation of the Partnership
Upliftment Program for Inner City Young
Men {expansion on the CSJP Program}
•
THANK YOU