Pearnel Patroe Charles Jr. is a Jamaican politician and attorney. Charles has been the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries since January 11, 2022. He was formerly Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change from September

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

and has been the member of parliament for

Clarendon South Eastern Clarendon South East is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Representatives of the Jamaican Parliament. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is located in Clarendon Parish. ...

since March 2020. He is co-chair of the NDC Partnership. Charles was previously a government senator in the

Parliament of Jamaica The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It consists of three elements: The Crown (represented by the Governor-General), the appointed Senate and the directly elected House of Representatives. The Se ...

and the Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation from March 25, 2019. He has responsibility for housing and water, among other areas in the ministry. Charles is also an executive member of the Jamaica National Commission for

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and serves as the Chairman of the

Youth Advisory Committee (UNESCOJAYAC). He is the conceptualizer of the UNESCOJAYAC Ambassador programme which has brought several youth across the country together to embark on a number of initiatives to boost youth engagement and participation in national development while promoting the goals and objectives of

. Additionally, Charles is the chairman of the National Council on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management (NCOCZM), a multi-sector, multi-stakeholder, high level advisory body to the cabinet on ocean and coastal zone affairs, and its committees. He has a keen interest in the promotion and implementation of the

sustainable development goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

and in, July 2018, he led Jamaica's delegation to the United Nations that successfully presented the country's voluntary national review on the implementation of the SDGs at the high ;evel political forum of the UN Economic and Social Council. As a government senator, Charles was on the senate Standing Orders Committee and Private Bills Committee. Charles was previously appointed by Prime Minister Andrew Holness as a senator and as the Minister of State in Ministry of National Security on March 7, 2016. This was consequent to the

2016 Jamaican general election General elections were held in Jamaica on 25 February 2016. The elections were largely a contest between the governing People's National Party (PNP) and the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The result was a narrow victory for the JLP, which ...

victory of Holness'

Jamaica Labour Party The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party (PNP). While its name might suggest that it is a social democratic party (as is the case for "Labour" parties in seve ...

when it defeated the People's National Party to gain control of the house of representatives. During his tenure as the minister of state in Ministry of National Security, Charles had specific responsibility for the Department of Correctional Services, the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force and special projects within the national security portfolio. With a focus on youth development, he established the Learning by Doing Competition in 2016, promoting a student-centered approach to rehabilitation. In 2017, this initiative evolved into th We Transform Programme, a youth empowerment and reintegration programme operating across all juvenile institutions in the Department of Correctional Services.

Early life

He is the son of

Pearnel Charles Pearnel Charles (born 1936) is a Jamaican politician with the Jamaica Labour Party who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Early life Charles was born in 1936 in the parish of St. Ann. He attended Lime Tree Garden Elementary School ...

. His siblings are

Patrece Charles-Freeman Patrece Charles-Freeman is a Jamaican public and environmental health consultant, as well as a political candidate with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Public health work Charles-Freeman lived in the United States while doing her bachelor's at the ...

and

Michelle Charles Michelle Charles is a politician who is a Member of the Parliament of Jamaica. She defeated Fenton Ferguson in Saint Thomas Eastern at the 2020 general election. Personal life She is daughter of former speaker Pearnel Charles Pearnel Char ...

Education

Charles attended Campion College in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and went on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree (biochemistry and zoology) with honours at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

(UWI), Mona. He also completed a Bachelor of Laws with honours at UWI, Cave Hill. During his time at UWI, Cave Hill, he was elected president of the Guild of Students where he was the chief voice for students to the administration and as a member of the University Council. He was also the president of the Law Society as well as the representative for the Pure and Applied Science Faculty to the Guild of Students at the UWI, Mona campus. Charles also completed a Certificate of Legal Education at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, where he was an active student and received notable awards. He subsequently attended

The George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

Law School in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. where he attained a Master of Laws and was awarded the Thomas Buergenthal Scholarship for academic performance.

Life and career

Charles began his legal career as a

judicial clerk A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significan ...

The Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

and The

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

in Jamaica. He went on to be a senior clerk of court in the parish of Saint Catherine, before moving to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to serve as

Crown Counsel Crown counsel are lawyers, generally in Common Law jurisdictions, who provide advice to the government and acts as prosecutors in cases. In various jurisdictions their title can vary and they could also be known as the Queen's Advocate, King's Advo ...

. He is now the lead counsel and managing attorney at the Law Offices of Pearnel P. Charles Jr., P.A., which manages clients globally. In his early political career in the Jamaica Labour Party, he was deputy spokesperson for national necurity adding his valuable experience to the political agenda.

Department of Correctional Services

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) manages Jamaica's corrections system, contributing to national security by implementing rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in the institutions while maintaining the safe custody of offenders. This administration is led by the Commissioner of Corrections, Ina Hunter, who works closely with the Permanent Secretary, Dianne McIntosh, and Charles. Since his appointment, he has sought ways to improve the rehabilitation of offenders to prepare them for life after release. One such way was highlighted during Correctional Services Week 2016 (October 24–29), where Charles stated that offenders would be trained in farming techniques before they were released. He toured the nation's correctional facilities in early April to examine the deficiencies and initiate the fast-tracking of modernization in the facilities. Other steps have been taken to transform the prison system from a place of punishment to a place of rehabilitation from partnerships with the department, the ministry, private sectors and international bodies. Attempts have been made to make inmates functionally literate and in possession of at least one Heart Trust/NTA certified skill before release. Greenhouse Launch

In order to further boost the rehabilitation process in the department, in March 2017 there was a handing over of a greenhouse project which saw twenty correctional officers, one agriculture instructor and ten inmates receiving practical teaching and training in order for a sustainable development. This is one of several measures taken by the department to reduce re-offending which is a focus of their five pillar crime-fighting strategy. The Department of Correctional Services has joined efforts with international partners to advance the capabilities of the juveniles in their care. "A New Path: Promoting a Healthy Environment and Productive Alternatives for Juvenile Remandees and Offenders in Jamaica" is a project implemented by the general secretariat of the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

(GS/OAS), through its Department of Public Security (DPS), working with its affiliate, the Trust for the Americas, with the support of the

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

. The "New Path" project is in its second phase and has so far imnvolved 950 youth and provided educational and vocational training to 385 boys and girls. The "New Path" project is partnering with the DCS to reduce recidivism and, ultimately, crime and violence in Jamaica by improving the quality of and access to rehabilitation services for juvenile remandees at South Camp and Metcalfe Street Correctional facilities. In October 2017, 40 wards were chosen to pitch ideas to a group of judges on business ventures they are seeking to expand and receive monetary support. Of the 40, 21 were selected to receive $500,000 grants to jump start their careers. This initiative is in its second cycle and will provide five days of business training and local administrative support to former wards to ensure the success of their endeavors.

We Transform Programme

The We Transform Youth Empowerment and Reintegration Programme is the ministry's flagship youth transformation programme geared at providing children (12-17 yrs) within the care and supervision of the Department of Correctional Services with the requisite skills set, character and support to become productive exemplary citizens. The programme was established by Charlesin 2016 and initially branded as the Learning by doing Competition, a student centered approach to rehabilitation.

Programme objectives

* Contribute to the reduction in youth offending/reoffending and by extension crime and violence. * Build self-esteem, sense of purpose, and hope; as well as promote good values and attitudes among the children. * Empower the target group to become agents of change/exemplary citizens * Create public awareness and engender multisectoral participation and support in the rehabilitation and transformation of the children. * Strengthen the institutional capacity of the DCS to effectively deliver rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.

Programme pillars

The programme has crafted a six pillar strategy consisting of six elements which fit within its objectives. * Pillar 1 - Application of the Learning by Doing Technique * Pillar 2 - Mentorship and Internship * Pillar 3 - Annual Competition and Exposition * Pillar 4 - Healthy Lifestyle * Pillar 5 - Parent Engagement and Training * Pillar 6 - Staff Capacity Building

Jamaica Combined Cadet Force

The Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) is a voluntary youth organisation which has been in existence since 1943 and caters to children between ages of 11 to 17 years old. It is an essential arm of the Ministry of National Security which provides training to the nation's youth to develop strong and capable leaders. The JCCF falls within the responsibility of Charles, who has defined the JCCF as "one of the best vehicles to create a crime free Jamaica". He also highlighted the importance of the expansion of the cadet force as this is a part of social development pillar of the Ministry of National Security crime fighting strategy. Charles, in his effort to advance the quality and quantity of resources in the cadet force, met with

Audrey Marks Audrey Patrice Marks has served two terms as Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2012 and again starting in 2016. She is Jamaica's first female Ambassador to the US and the first individual to hold the position twice in two sepa ...

, Jamaican ambassador to the US, to seek assistance in bolstering the capabilities of the JCCF. They discussed attractive avenues for recruiting youngsters to the force as well as how to actively engage them in crime fighting strategies.

References

External links

*
We Transform
on ''Facebook''
The Department of Correctional Services

Jamaica Combined Cadet Force
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Pearnel Patroe, Jr. Living people 1978 births Members of the Senate of Jamaica Members of the House of Representatives of Jamaica Government ministers of Jamaica Jamaica Labour Party politicians People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica 21st-century Jamaican politicians Members of the 14th Parliament of Jamaica People educated at Campion College