KINGSTON, Jamaica – Since its implementation in March 2020, the Child⁸ Diversion Programme in the Ministry of Justice has been steering youngsters in conflict with the law, away from the criminal justice system.

The initiative, which is in the Social Justice Division of the m9inistry, targets children aged 12 to 17 years, providing them with individualised diversion programmes tailored to their needs.

Director of the Child Diversion Branch, Venisa Clarke said the aim is to prevent children from having criminal records, going into adulthood, for mistakes they made at a young age.

“Say, for example, we had a child who stole from a shop in a community, and the shopkeeper found out about it, and it was reported. When they realised the child said, ‘I am sorry about doing that; I just wanted some food for myself and my siblings and so on and so forth’, that shopkeeper now has the option to, instead of criminalising this child for this minor offence, consent to the child going to the Child Diversion Programme,” Clarke explained.

She stated that participation in the programme is completely voluntary and requires the consent of the victim of the offence to be utilised in keeping with the law, and to ensure fairness for the victim.

“The victim has a right to redress; however, in this situation, we offer the victim the option of this alternative-justice service. So, the victim consents to the child coming to the programme. The child accepts responsibility for the offence. This does not mean that you are saying I am guilty or innocent. What it means is that they are saying I am willing to be part of the programme,” the director pointed out.

Given the nature of the programme, referrals are only made by the court or the police.

Clarke said the child is then sent to one of the 14 child diversion offices across the island, where a risk and needs assessment is done, so a personalised programme can be created for the child.

“The child and their parents or guardian come, and we ask them a lot of questions about who they are, what it’s like at school, what it’s like at home, do they get bored easily, have they experienced any traumatic things in life. All those questions we ask because we want to get an understanding of who the child is,” she stated.

Once the child is better understood in a holistic way, rather than only by the offence they have or are accused of committing, the Child Diversion Programme then shifts to understanding the root cause of the offence.

“So, the example that I gave before with the child stealing, that child may have stolen something, but the root cause of the issue is probably poverty, or it’s probably poverty or some traumatic experience that the child has been through,” Clarke said.

She added that the programme does not solely focus on the offence for which the child was referred; other issues will be addressed should they arise during the programme.

A key part of the Child Diversion Programme is mentorship, where the children are given the opportunity to work with positive role models who can help guide them on a better path.

The Child Diversion Branch is always looking for new mentors to add to the complement. Jamaicans over the age of 18 years who wish to apply to be mentors, may access the mentorship applications on the ministry’s website, www.moj.gov.jm, or at any of the 14 parish offices.

For more information on the Child Diversion Programme, individuals may visit the Ministry of Justice’s website at moj.gov.jm or by calling 888 JUSTICE (888-587-8423).

-JIS