“Living here feels like jail without bars”

That’s how some residents in communities which are heavily policed say they feel.

The disclosure was made during the release of the findings of a survey conducted by the MICO Foundation and Rights Group Jamaicans for Justice.

The research is titled Citizens’ Rights, Roles, Responsibilities and Practices Survey 2025.

Speaking at this morning’s release of the findings, Deputy Director for the Institute of Technological and Educational Research at the Mico University Sandra-Gray Alvaranga said residents in communities heavily policed say freedom of speech is also constrained.

She said the residents revealed that it was easier to trust local officers as opposed to officers from other communities.

The research was done under JFJ’s EU-funded 3-year grant titled ‘Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Jamaica through Education, Advocacy, and Legal Support Services’.

The report examines public awareness, perceptions, and experiences relating to citizens’ rights and responsibilities, including interactions with public institutions and law enforcement, as well as issues of accountability, civic participation, domestic violence and access to justice.