Jamaicans are rejecting Britain’s offer of £25 million to build a prison here.
The facility is to house up to 300 Jamaicans now in British prisons under a transfer deal to complete their sentences here.
It will also house Jamaicans incarcerated at the Tower Street and St Catherine Adult Correctional facilities.
The National Security Ministry says it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UK to facilitate the deal.
The Ministry says the MoU is to improve the conditions under which prisoners are held in Jamaica, consistent with best practice and international human rights standards, through the construction of a maximum-security prison in Jamaica.