State Minister Proposes Educating Jamaica’s Youth On Restorative Justice

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Zavia Mayne, is proposing that the tenets of restorative justice be taught to Jamaica’s youth in order to promote peaceful conflict resolution and prevent the occurrence of more serious crimes.

He made the suggestion against the background of data which he said shows that the average age of persons in correctional facilities ranges between 22 and 25 years.

“What this means is that we have to start promoting restorative justice practices as part of educational curriculum for [our] youth to recognise that there are ways of resolving disputes [other] than through violence,” the State Minister added.

He was addressing the Ministry of Justice’s 13th annual semi-virtual Restorative Justice Conference on Friday (February 4), which was held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston.

Restorative justice is the process whereby all parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the matter and its implications for the future.

This intervention focuses on building relationships and repairing harm caused by conflict or crime. It also seeks to reintegrate the offender into the community and facilitate healing for all parties involved.

Mr. Mayne said the Ministries of National Security, and Justice are key partners in developing and dispensing an integrated approach to managing, preventing and reducing crime and violence in the society.

He noted that the use of restorative justice is a critical component of this thrust, adding that “with the aid of our police and through the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), we have been able to utilise [it] as a catalyst for peace and community strengthening.”

“It is against this backdrop that the Ministry of National Security recognises and champions the importance of restorative justice in providing a pathway for the transformation to a more secure, just, and peaceful society,” the State Minister said.

Mr. Mayne pointed out that restorative justice is also critical in preventing a backlog of cases in the courts, reducing recidivism, and helping victims, offenders and communities to amicably resolve conflict in the aftermath of crimes committed.

“We look forward to [the] continued partnership as we construct more restorative justice centres and sensitise our citizens to the importance of restorative justice in providing tangible solutions in the fight against crime, which allows us to live good,” he said.

The conference engaged key stakeholders and examined the progress of Restorative Justice in Jamaica.

The event formed part of activities marking Restorative Justice Week 2022, from January 30 to February 5.

These engagements were hosted under the theme: ‘Crime Prevention through Restorative Justice is Everybody’s Business’.