Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU::
Jamaica is to get its own Victims Charter by March 31 when it will become a public document.
The Charter will, among other things, include a victim support system and will speak to the role of victims as it relates to the criminal justice system.
Victims will be able to make a contribution to what is being done rather than just being treated as witnesses and address the consideration of a component of compensation scheme.
"The victims support system will also seek to assist family members of victims of crime. What we do now is to offer social and psychological support," said permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer.
"There is also a role for victims in the parole system such as when it comes to getting a hearing to determine whether one should be released or not, there is a part they have to play."
She made the disclosure while giving an overview of restorative justice at the first in series of meetings in the 21-day Reconciliation Service of the International Conference on Restorative Justice, held at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Montego Bay, St. James recently.
"We have done a series of consultations with the Jamaican public to find out what they would like to see included in the document," Mrs. Palmer added. "Having benefited from the public's contribution, we are now ready to make the findings public."
Introductory programme
Addressing the matter of restorative justice, she said it was an introductory programme to sensitise persons to become acquainted with the principles as well as the methodologies being utilised and the values that are associated with it.
New to the Jamaican social and criminal justice frontier, restorative justice is a way of viewing justice that puts emphasis on respecting the dignity of everyone, repairing harm caused by conflict, violence and crime.
It also seeks to afford victims, offenders and communities the opportunity to again experience peace and harmony.
A restorative process is defined as any process in which the victim, the offender and, where appropriate, any other individuals or community members affected by a crime participate together actively in the resolution of matters arising from the crime, generally with the help of a facilitator, according to a document from the Ministry of Justice.
Restorative justice, which is actively being practised in the United Kingdom's criminal justice system, was introduced there in the 1980s and is still considered a new approach.
Restorative Justice Consortium, a leading U.K. organisation, says restorative justice encourages good internal relationships in prisons through the use of restorative approaches. It also provides the opportunity for communities outside the prison walls to help in the rehabilitation of offenders. It offers victims the chance to have questions answered prior to prisoners' release.
