Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Family Church on the Rock in St. Andrew - Junior Dowie/staff Photographer

The term 'Restorative justice' does not mean much to many Jamaicans, but for 25-year-old, Marlon Longford, it is an intervention that saved him from facing a 13-year prison sentence.

When he was convicted for illegal possession of a firearm three years ago, the young man from Arnett Gardens, one of Kingston's tougher inner cities, never dreamt that his sentence would be commuted to three years probation.

This dramatic turn in his life was due to the intervention of Franz Fletcher, pastor of Church on the Rock in St. Andrew. Since then, the young man has been walking a tight rope to freedom.

Marlon was caught with a gun by the police while he hustled to make a living in downtown Kingston.

But for the soft-spoken young man, being caught with the gun and surviving was another miracle within itself, as the policeman, at the time, threatened to kill him on the spot, but the policeman's gun did not go off.

"I felt like death was knocking; I saw my life flashing past me," he said.

He was arrested, charged and spent eight months of hard time in the Horizon Adult Remand Centre — a time which forced him to reflect on his life.

Marlon said he appeared before the judge, chained to 15 other persons, and was ready to face his sentence, when the judge informed him that he would be putting him on three years probation.

But this was after Pastor Fletcher had given the commitment that he and members of the church would play a part in turning his life around.

probation

"The average person, seeing a man who has been convicted, yet, he is on probation, they figure that he must do his time, that is the end of it, he is finished," Pastor Fletcher said. "We don't see it that way. Restorative justice means restoring; it means bringing back the person into society."

Taking on this huge responsibility was not easy for Pastor Fletcher.

"When I looked in the court, I saw about 15 of them chained like those on the slave ship, hand to hand. All of them came for sentencing," he said. "It is like the spirit of God said to me 'Out of these 15 guys, some of them can be saved, some of them would have to serve their time but some of them can be plucked out,'" he said.

Pastor Fletcher said that it was then he realised that the church needed to play a role in transforming their lives. After 15 minutes of deliberation in his chamber, the judge came out and handed Marlon over to him. But the conditions were that Pastor Fletcher had to have direct supervision of Marlon.

no regrets

"That means that we had to see to it that he has to be in bed on time. He can't leave unless he is with you. He can't do this and he can't do that. I had to ask to myself what in heavens name was I getting myself into?" said Pastor Fletcher gesticulating.

Almost three years since that commitment, Pastor Fletcher has no regrets. Marlon has been enrolled in school and is preparing to sit Caribbean Examination Council exams. He is now a devoted Christian at Church on the Rock.

"It is not that he got away - he is closely monitored - but the courts said, 'instead of us trying to rehabilitate him in prison, we give him to you, you watch him and see to it that he is all right,'" he explained.

Months before his probation ends, Marlon says his life has been turned around, he is now more focused, and he is now making plans to pursue a career in accounting or law.

"It (the experience) has given me love for life. I now visit persons in the jail house and buy stuff for them," he said.

Marlon's mother, Beverley Hilton, says she is forever grateful to the church for helping to restore her son's life. She said his attitude has changed, he spends less time on the streets and he is more focused.

"For my life, it (the experience) has brought me so much into the spiritual realm," she said. At the same time Marlon was having his problem, she said, she also lost a daughter to a terminal illness.

"He has put me through things to know that he is a God who never fails us or leaves us," she said.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com Send feedback on this story to editors@gleanerjm.com

When I looked in the court, I saw about 15 of them chained like those on the slave ship, hand to hand. All of them came for sentencing. It is like the spirit of God said to me out of these 15 guys, some of them can be saved.