Locally, there is a push for restorative justice to be the route to conflict resolution.

Coordinator of the restorative justice programme Kahilah Whyte is appealing to law-abiding citizens to embrace the initiative as a staple of community development through volunteerism.“The model is used in other places of the world like South Africa, USA, Canada, and Colombia. It is not a new ideology — we have always settled crime and conflict in family and workplaces. It is an alternative way to use justice and a win for restorative justice is a win for Jamaica,” she said.Whyte, who spoke to the

Jamaica Observer following a graduation ceremony for close to 60 restorative justice facilitators at the Constant Spring Road offices of the Ministry of Justice in St Andrew last Friday, pointed out that anyone over 18 years old with a clean criminal record and a desire to serve can become a facilitator.“You don’t need to be from a volatile area. We are looking for individuals who want to serve Jamaica, those with an interest in alternative dispute resolution and facilitating conflict in a meaningful manner. The training is completely free. The heart of restorative justice is sharing love through grace,” she said.From April 2016 to April this year, 11,738 people received training in restorative justice.Restorative justice, a multi-tiered approach to conflict resolution under the Ministry of Justice, is a process where victim, offender, and community members come together to resolve, collectively, how to deal with the aftermath of an offence.The idea is to hold the offender accountable in a more meaningful way, whereby the harm caused by the offence is repaired, the offender is reintegrated into the community, and healing of all parties involved is achieved.A national restorative justice policy outlines the protocols that govern the concept, however, the tools used include conferences and circles where the victim may choose to meet with the offender face to face in a victim/offender conference, or with the offender and people from the community in a family group or community conference. A healing or talking circle is used to focus on a common concern in order to aid healing, and a sentencing circle may be used to arrive at a sentencing plan for an offender.Interested individuals may fill out an application form on the ministry’s website.Whyte added: “Once Jamaica buys into restorative justice we can continue to reduce crime, reduce case logs in court. It is a win-win for Government, the country, and citizens on a whole.”Meanwhile, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, who addressed the graduates, said while challenges are a natural phenomenon, the real issue is how we deal with them.“This is where restorative justice is one of the best-available tools to be able to resolve these disputes. It enables you to be a better person in your community and to be able to relate to people,” Chuck said.He added that his ministry will be rolling out restorative justice centres across Jamaica, with the hope of having at least three practitioners in every school.“Jamaica can be (a) paradise if we all work together. and if we cut out the violence, you’d be amazed at how we can be better,” he said.Communities served by restorative justice centres include Trench Town, Jones Town, Craig Town, and Hannah Town, in St Andrew; Greater Allman Town and Fletcher’s Land in Kingston; communities in Spanish Town, St Catherine; May Pen and surrounding areas in Clarendon; and communities in Westmoreland and St James.