JAMAICA
Restorative justice consultations
The Ministry of Justice will be hosting a series of consultations in Tower Hill, Kingston, as part of efforts to implement and develop restorative community justice processes in the community, commencing on Sunday (September 13).
This was disclosed by the Co-ordinator of Justice Reform in the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Beverly Little, during an interview with JIS News, Tuesday (September 8).
Tower Hill is one of four pilot communities chosen for the implementation of community justice processes.
She said that last year, the Ministry conducted a series of public consultations intended to provide information on the restorative justice policy. The three other pilot communities – Spanish Town, St. Catherine; Granville, St. James; and May Pen, Clarendon – had consultations, but none was held in Tower Hill, which was later added to the list of pilot communities. However, she said that there is a need for the sensitisation of the community, "so the reason we are doing this is to educate and inform the residents of Tower Hill about restorative justice."
The consultations will be on Sunday September 13 at the Seaward Primary and Junior High School, 4-6 p.m.; September 20, at Olympic Gardens Health Centre, 4-6 p.m.; and on September 27, at the St. Paul's Mission, 3-5 p.m..
Persons attending these consultations will be exposed to a video and power point presentation introducing them to the concept of restorative justice. There will also be a question and answer segment. "We really want to get the residents' input on the processes we are going to implement. We want them on board, we want to get their feedback about the vision they have for their community," Miss Little said.
"We are not assuming that we have all the answers, and you know restorative justice is inclusive and it is on that premise that we have taken this position. We are going to make [the consultations] as interactive as possible", she added.
The consultations are targeting community leaders, youth, faith based organisations and the police, among others.
Jamaica Information Sevice
9 September 2009
