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

Vote in CURB RJ Poll

CURB would like to stimulate discussion among Caribbean nationals as to the manner in which we should implement restorative justice.

We have chosen to use an Online Poll to obtain your perspective on this important topic which is able to improve victim satisfaction and reduce crime and re-offending.

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• In the R.J. Spotlight
• Jamaica Proclaims RJ Week in February
• Jamaicans Share Anti-Crime Model with Trinis
• New Court to Cater for Restorative Justice
• Bajans Assess Recidivism Risks
• Inmates in Antigua Barbuda Warn Kids of Crime
• Total Assault on Justice System
• And Much More Caribbean R.J. News!

International Research Supports Use of Restorative Justice

A recent publication of research on restorative justice in the UK and internationally, carried out by the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania for the Smith Institute in London examined what constitutes good-quality restorative justice practice and provides conclusions on its effectiveness, with particular reference to re-offending.

Below are excerpts taken from the Executive Summary of that report:-

"The review employs a broad definition of restorative justice (RJ), including victim-offender mediation, indirect communication through third parties, and restitution or reparation payments ordered by courts or referral panels. "

"The most important conclusion is that RJ works differently on different kinds of people. It can work very well as a general policy, if a growing body of evidence on “what works for whom” can become the basis for specifying when and when not to use it."

"In general, RJ seems to work better with crimes involving personal victims than for crimes without them. The research also suggests that RJ works with violent crimes more consistently than with property crimes, the latter having the only evidence of crime increases. These findings run counter to conventional wisdom, and could become the basis for substantial inroads in demarcating when it is “in the public interest” to seek RJ rather than Criminal Justice."

"As for the benefits of RJ to victims, when victims willingly meet offenders face to face, they obtain short-term benefits for their mental health by reduced post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This may, in turn, reduce their lifetime risks of coronary disease as well as reducing health costs paid by taxpayers."

"As a means for reducing recidivism, it was discovered that when RJ has been offered to arrestees before charging them, RJ has always brought at least twice as many offences to justice – and up to four times as many. Whether such effects could be even greater with widespread take-up of RJ across a community is a major question to be answered."

In light of the findings contained in the report, CURB has created an Online Poll to obtain your perspective on the manner in which Caribbean jurisdictions could implement restorative justice.

The Poll will remain open until 10th November, 2007 and the results will be compiled in a Report and published via the media and our website during Restorative Justice Week 2007.

In Jamaica, Governor-General of Jamaica, Professor Kenneth Hall, proclaimed the first week of February as 'Restorative Justice Week' and also declared January 19 to February 8, 2007 as a period of national grieving, atonement, healing, restoration and reconciliation...Read Full Article

On Friday 9th February 2007 and Saturday 10th February, 2007 four Jamaican pastors from Grants Pen in St. Andrew conducted a Collaborative Problem Solving Workshop at Church on the Rock, Lady Young Road in Morvant, Trinidad...Read Full Article

On Friday 9th February the Government of Jamaica took another step towards the integration of restorative justice into its criminal justice system when it signed off on a contract for the construction of a new court complex for the Mandeville district...Read Full Article

Barbados' Chief Justice, Sir David Simmons has spoken out in support of Level Service of Inventory revised (LSIR) - a new instrument for assessing offenders in Barbados' criminal justice system.

The LSIR is an internationally recognised instrument which assists in determining an offender's risk of re-offending and examines the offender's employability, educational requirements, mental health status, and family background, among other things...Read Full Article

Two Antiguan inmates were invited to participate in a Black History Week programme at the Pares Secondary School on Friday 23 February 2007. The offenders were asked to speak in the forum and discuss the various aspects of prison life in the hope of deterring the students from becoming engaged in criminal activities... Read Full Article

In Jamaica, Chairman of the Jamaican Justice System Reform Task Force (JJSRTF), Professor Barrington Chevannes (in photo above), has confirmed that the government is committed to a degree of reform which can be described as a total assault on the justice system... Read Full Article