Thousands of adults and children who are victims of crime benefited from assistance through the Victim Services Division (VSD) in the 2019/2020 fiscal year. “These include assisting 4,244 children through court support, trauma and grief therapy and special intervention programmes; providing court support for 533 adults; and developing a Missing Children Risk Assessment Tool (MCRAT) to assist parents in identifying...

As at Thursday (June 25), Jamaica recorded six new COVID-19 cases and five additional recoveries. This brings to 684 the total number of confirmed positives and to 526 the number of recoveries. The new cases are comprised of two males and four females, with ages ranging from six to 35 years. They are from Westmoreland (2), St. James (1), Kingston...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says progress is being made in the implementation of the National Child Diversion Programme. The Minister, who was making his contribution to the 2020/21 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 24, noted that, so far, 13 Child Diversion Parish Offices have been established, core staff for the programme appointed, and 13...

As one of the solutions to reduce backlog in the courts, the Justice Ministry has been promoting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods, such as mediation and restorative justice (RJ) conferences. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, said the Restorative Justice Programme contributed significantly to the decrease in the number of cases now being dealt with in the parish courts, as those...

Thirteen public beaches across seven parishes are to benefit from major improvements, says Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. These are Rocky Point, St. Thomas; Winnifred, Portland; Guts River, Manchester; Orchard and Watson Taylor, Hanover; Alligator Pond and Crane Road, St. Elizabeth; Rio Nuevo and Pagee, St. Mary; Salem and Priory, St. Ann; and Closed Harbour and Success in St....

Twenty new Geo-X tablet computers have been handed over to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) for the children of sanitation workers, to aid in their access to online learning while schools remain closed. The devices, donated by GeoTechVision Enterprises Limited in collaboration with EduTech Aid Caribbean, were handed over at the NSWMA’s Head Office on Half-Way Tree Road...

Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited (NROCC), Ivan Anderson, has informed that due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, construction of the proposed Montego Bay Bypass in St. James, should commence in 2022, instead of next year. He was addressing a virtual Town Hall, hosted by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and NROCC on...