For the 2022/2023 financial year, more than 100 per cent of the projected restorative justice conferences were completed. “The conferences also had a success rate of 79 per cent, with the remaining 21 per cent reaching partial agreements in some instances, while some matters remained unresolved and returned to the referral agents for resolution,” Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck,...

The Ministry of Justice is looking to increase the number of officers and mentors serving the Child Diversion Programme. The initiative, which aims to direct children aged 12 to 17 away from the criminal justice system, was operationalised in 2020, following the passage of the Child Diversion Act, 2018. Making his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to participate in a major islandwide tree-planting exercise on Labour Day, May 23, in keeping with the focus of this year’s observance. Activities marking Labour Day and Workers’ Week, 2023, under the theme ‘Plant a Tree for Life – Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’, were launched at the Office of the Prime...

The Ministry of Justice received 2,322 applications for the expungement of criminal records last year. Making his contribution to the 2023/24 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 2, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, said of that amount, the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Board approved 1,200 applications. “When people apply, they expect that within days or weeks...

With the National Housing Trust (NHT) loan financing now up to $8.5 million to a single applicant, the Government has incentivised the housing market to deliver more affordable houses. The assertion was made by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, while delivering the keynote address at the handover of a two-bedroom unit built under the New Social Housing Programme...

The National Identification System (NIDS) will facilitate ease of verification and access to certain benefits for persons with disabilities. Special provisions will be developed and implemented to ensure inclusiveness for elderly, homeless, and physically and mentally disabled persons. Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during the Nationwide News Network...

The Half-Way Tree Teen Hub in St. Andrew, located in the Transport Centre, is providing significant support to teenagers, and persons in St. Thomas will be provided with similar services soon. State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who visited the facility in Half-Way Tree on May 1, said children must have such outlets, and...