The Justice Ministry expanded its virtual training offering with the launch of the first virtual Restorative Justice (RJ) Facilitator Training programme on July 12, 2021. Under the programme, being executed in collaboration with the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of the West Indies, over 100 facilitators are being trained in various RJ processes and client care to ensure that they can handle the multiplicity of referrals that they receive.

Speaking during the launch, Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck pointed to the success of the RJ programme in several communities across Jamaica and urged participants to use the training to transform their communities. “You will participate in a two-week training that will be pivotal to you and I hope that you will use the information to make a difference in your communities,” he said.

With a success rate of approximately 90 per cent, RJ has become a major programme for the Ministry and a key component of the country’s alternative justice services framework. The programme boasts 123 active trained facilitators across 18 centres island wide. The Justice Ministry projects that within the next four fiscal years, 700 persons will be trained as RJ facilitators.

RJ is an alternative justice service that seeks to address – conflict through conferences or sessions where the victim, offender and RJ facilitator meet and come to an agreement for a peaceful resolution.