The Caribbean Umbrella Body for Restorative Behaviour (CURB) is the first and only Caribbean network of NGOs working to assist and support crime survivors, prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families... Find Out More

CURB Treats Children to The Nativity Story

On Tuesday 12th December, 2006 CURB had the pleasure of treating 15 children from the Arima district to a cinema outing at Palladium Cinema in Tunapuna.

The treat included the movie, The Nativity Story, which focuses on the account of the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

CURB Distribution to Victims

On Wednesday December 20, 2006 CURB distributed food and gift hampers to families of primary and secondary crime victims living in Port of Spain and environs.

On Thursday December 21, 2006 a similar distribution was conducted for families in the Siparia district.

The distributions marked the end of the 2006 activities of the CURB Restorative Justice Fund.

Throughout 2006 the RJ Fund has been active in providing relevant support to children of crime survivors, prisoners and ex-prisoners. Read More About the RJ Fund.

Community Focused Groups
Meet on January 13, 2007

The first meeting for 2007 of Community Focused Groups will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday 13th January 2007 at the St. John London Baptist Church, Pembroke Street, Port of Spain.

Among others, Pastor Brian H. Skinner will provide training on setting up support groups for different categories of persons.

Also expected to attend are community leaders from the Laventille district who have been participating in training provided by Pastor Skinner on Defining Masculine Excellence.

All are invited!

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• In the R.J. Spotlight
• Jamaica to Pass Proceeds of Crime Act
• Antigua Facing Juvenile Delinquency Crisis
• Grenadians Face Re-Entry Challenge
• Landmark Decision in US Courts on Deportees
• "Community Leaders" Apologise to the Nation
• Christmas Treat for Prisoners' Children
• TT's DPP Calls for Criminal Justice Reform
• And Much More Caribbean R.J. News!

Diana Mahabir-Wyatt

A native of Canada, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt has made her mark on the political, economic and social landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago over the past four decades.

A graduate of Mc Gill University, Quebec, Canada in 1962, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt came to Trinidad and Tobago as a young bride and has made her life in the Caribbean raising four children, three foster children and three step children. She is the grandmother of fourteen children.

A founding member of Personnel Management Services Limited which she established with her late husband, Noel Wyatt, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt is a human resource management consultant by profession. She has sat on various governmental commissions and committees and is on the boards of directors of several private companies.

In the area of social work, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt wears many hats. For 15 years she authored a weekly column on social, economic and political matters for one of Trinidad and Tobago's leading newspapers and also produced and presented a twelve segment television presentation on violence against women and children.

Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt is heavily involved in community development work, having served on the Boards of SERVOL, the National Self-Help Commission and the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence (TTCADV).

The Chair of the TTCADV since she co-founded it in 1988, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt also chairs the Stop Elderly Abuse Now (SEAN) program, Childline (Trinidad and Tobago) and the Peace, Love and Understanding in Schools (PLUS) Programme. She is the Founder and patron on the Shelter, a Home for Battered Women and Children and serves as a counselling resource for women in abusive situations.

In 1991, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt was formally appointed an Independent Senator by the President of the Republic in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago - a position which she held for 11 years. During her tenure in Parliament, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt played a major role in piloting the Domestic Violence Act.

An influential public figure, she continues to promote legislation dealing with social, educational and economic issues and with the protection of women and children from abusive situations.

A strong voice for the victimised and voiceless, Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt has committed her resources and talents towards improving the criminal justice system through national Victim Support and Witness Support Programmes. These projects are being undertaken under Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) which Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt also chairs.

The Victim Support programme is intended to provide support to families in the form of grief counselling, legal advice, and assistance with the red tape of funeral arrangements and national insurance.

The programme will be just one facet of the CCHR itself, which, according to Ms. Mahabir-Wyatt, will be responsible for educating members of the public on their human rights, and defending and upholding human rights for criminal offenders as well as other members of society in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.

Jamaican justice officials will have to wait until early 2007 for Parliament to pass the Proceeds of Crime Act 2006, which gives legislative power to the State to forfeit property and confiscate proceeds obtained through drug trafficking and money laundering...Read Full Article

Once thought of as a tranquil Caribbean paradise, Antigua and Barbuda is now facing a crisis in the wake of the recent escape from lawful custody of 5 juvenile detainees...Read Full Article

Grenadians will never forget the events of October 1983 when the nation was traumatised by the news that leader Maurice Bishop had been toppled and that he and members of his Cabinet had been murdered...Read Full Article

A recent ruling in the United States Supreme Court has stated that a non-citizen cannot be deported for a drug crime under state law.

The decision confirmed that while the drug crime may be a felony in the state where it is prosecuted, it is only a misdemeanour under the broader federal law. The court, therefore, said that non-citizens cannot be subjected to mandatory deportation under immigration law after serving prison terms for a drug crime...Read Full Article

A few days before Christmas, mothers in Trinidad and Tobago received a unique gift from an unlikely source - sincere apologies were extended to them by one of 75 "community leaders" from Maloney, La Horquetta, Carenage, Cocorite and Laventille for the grief they had caused the nation's families... Read Full Article

CURB and Lawyers for Jesus partnered to assist Prison Fellowship Trinidad and Tobago to provide over 100 gifts for the children of female prisoners at the Angel Tree function held on Friday 15th December 2006 at the Women's Prison, Arouca... Read Full Article