The Caribbean Umbrella Body for Restorative Behaviour (CURB) is a Caribbean network of NGOs working to assist and support crime survivors, prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families. Click Here for a Flash file about CURB or visit our website to Find Out More.

Vote Now in Caribbean RJ Survey

With the Crime and Justice Commission established in Trinidad and Tobago, CURB encourages you to cast your vote in our Online Survey as to the manner in which Caribbean nations should implement restorative justice.

Search Caribbean RJ Directory!

Need to find a prison ministry or support service for crime survivors in the Caribbean? Then search the Caribbean RJ Resource Directory which lists various agencies which provide support to crime survivors, prisoners, ex-prisoners and their respective families.

Caribbean RJ Audio Resources

CURB has enhanced our website with audio files (MP3) of radio interviews conducted with transformed ex-prisoners, leaders in prison ministry, supporters of crime survivors and restorative justice practitioners. Many more audio resources will be added each month.

So visit the Resources page of our website today and download these FREE RJ Audio Resources!

Stop Prison Abuse

Having exposed the problems of prisoner sexual and other abuse in the Trinidad and Tobago prison system during Restorative Justice Week 2007, CURB proposes to embark upon a prolonged Stop Prison Abuse project to continue lobbying, making and implementing recommendations and doing all in our power to eradicate the problems of prisoner abuse in every Caribbean territory and to provide support systems for survivors of such abuses.

Our continued work on this crucial issue shall be published via a new, dedicated website - Stop Prison Abuse. The new website provides audio files of prison abuse testimonies and other important resources for download. Please pass the word to your colleagues throughout the region.

Community Focused Groups To Meet on 12th January

The January 2008 meeting of Community Focused Groups will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday 12th January 2008 at the St. John London Baptist Church, Pembroke Street, Port of Spain. The focus will be on helping such groups work with gangs in 2008!

Admission is FREE! All are invited. Please call 652-1377 for more information and to confirm your attendance.

Trouble viewing this eNewsletter? Read it online.

A Criminal Justice Review of 2007

The past year of 2007 was a landmark one for Caribbean Umbrella Body For Restorative Behaviour (CURB).

While continuing to publish the only Caribbean weblog and monthly Newsletter on criminal justice reform, prison reform and restorative justice, CURB enjoyed our best season of networking to date. In 2007 we were able to establish relationships with 12 other NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, the USA and the UK!

As our primary project for 2007, we highlighted the plight of prisoners who are sexually victimised in custody and issued a series of news releases from March 2007 to November 2007 to sensitise the public about prison sexual abuse.

This was followed by Restorative Justice Week 2007 (18th to 24th November 2007) under the theme, "Not Part of the Sentence" when, with the help of Rape Crisis Society and Dolly & Associates Limited, CURB held an intensive 5-day introductory training session on counselling survivors and perpetrators of sexual assault/abuse.

CURB has embarked upon an ongoing project to eliminate prison abuse in the Caribbean, and encourages regional NGOs to partner with us in this effort. For more information on this project, please visit Stop Prison Abuse.

In May 2007 CURB hosted a stakeholders consultation on transitional accommodation for ex-prisoners at Ambassador Hotel and distributed for comment a draft document which would provide some oversight of this area of social service and promote national standards and best practices to treat with the accommodation and continued rehabilitation of ex-prisoners in Trinidad and Tobago.

During the year CURB also set up two important online restorative justice tools for the benefit of persons based in the Caribbean. These are the Restorative Justice Survey and the Restorative Justice Directory (see left panel for details).

In 2007, CURB maintained a consistent presence in the local and regional media through well timed news releases which addressed many key issues concerning criminal justice reform, restorative justice and penal improvements. An archive of our news releases for 2007 is available online.

The accuracy and relevance of our news releases has positioned CURB as a credible voice on Caribbean justice issues.

In December, 2007 CURB partnered with Soul Seekers International to host a Can Quest concert which netted enough canned products to provide modest food hampers to families of prisoners and crime victims.

In spite of this hectic programme for 2007, CURB continued our work with several children of ex-prisoners and homicide victims through the CURB Restorative Justice Fund.

We thank God for His faithfulness to us in keeping us thus far and blessing us with wisdom, insight and favour in 2007.

By God's grace CURB shall continue to accomplish even greater things in 2008!

While CURB has no New Year resolutions per se, we do have a Criminal Justice Wish List which we pray will be implemented during 2008.

Antigua Superintendent Gives Prison Count...More.

Guyana Deportees Get Support From Canada...More.
Guyana To Start Building Prison Annex...More.

Jamaica Launches Drug Court...More.
Jamaican Charity Releases 23 Inmates For Christmas...More.

Bahamas Seeks Community Input on Crime...More
Bahamas Students Launch Peace Initiative...More.

Cayman AG Wants Youth Facility...More.

TT Judge Helps Families Make Peace...More
TT Killer Sentenced To Camp...More
TT Victim Compensation Lacking...More.
TT Angel Tree For Inmates' Kids...More.

Belizean Inmates Get Christmas Visits...More
Drug Treatment for Bermudan Prisoners...More
Bajan Ex-Prisoners To Get Government Jobs...More
St. Lucia Prison Shame...More.