Overview of Human Rights in Jamaica

Jamaica is a constitutional parliamentary democracy. Due to extreme levels of poverty, an overburdened judicial system, and impunity for security forces who commit crimes, the human rights record in Jamaica remains poor. Jamaican society continues to suffer from high levels of violence, including a high murder rate.  In recent years, records have shown that over 1,000 people have been murdered each year. Of those, some tend to be police officers, while many victims of murders have been killed unlawfully by members of the Jamaican police force. Security forces committing extra-judicial killings do so in a climate of impunity. Prisoner abuse and harsh prison conditions are also chronic. Incidences of harassment and violence against homosexuals are on the rise.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

104th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.