Coming on the heels of the first Mediation Week in Trinidad and Tobago, Restorative Justice Week has been observed locally during the third week of November each year since 2003.

Caribbean Umbrella Body For Restorative Behaviour (CURB) – a network of NGOs which has spearheaded RJ Week activities since 2005 – has selected the theme, “Raising the Standards” to mark this year’s national observance.

This year’s activities will explore a range of pertinent topics including Victims’ Rights and the Media; What Works in Restoring Offenders; Restoring Communities; Mediating Gang Disputes; and Best Practices in Restoring Crime Survivors and their loved ones.

Restorative Justice Week 2011 is the result of collaboration among CURB, the University of the West Indies, several non-profit and community-based organisations.

The public is cordially invited to attend the open events which will be hosted at the Port of Spain City Hall on Monday 14th and Tuesday 1th November, 2011 from 8:30am.

Of particular interest for Tuesday 15th November 2011 is a Panel Discussion on Victims Rights and the Media which will examine the need for a Code of Conduct for media houses as they seek to report on crime and offending in our country.

Limited seating is also available to members of the public wishing to attend the Mediating Gang Disputes Symposium at the UWI on Wednesday 16th November 2011.

Details of the respective events are included in the documents available for download below. The Agenda for the Week also contains the names and contact numbers of the respective organisers.

Downloads:-

Media Release for Restoratve Justice Week 2011 (PDF)

Agenda for Restorative Justice Week 2011 (PDF)

Mediating Gang Disputes (PDF)

RJ Week UWI Training Flyer (PDF)

The second event was held on Wednesday 24th November, 2010 at the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel, Mount Irvine, Tobago.

The initiative was privileged to receive the support of the Tobago House of Assembly, Department of Social Services and Gender Affairs with overwhelming participation from the Tobago Pastors and Ministers Association.

Approximately 105 persons from faith based organisations, community based organisations, CURB, Prison Fellowship, the Prisons Service, Probation Services and other departments of the THA converged to listen to speakers from the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago.

The UK presenters, led by Ms. Merilyn Wilson, shared with local stakeholders the Caring for Ex-Offenders model of aftercare which originated with Holy Trinity Brompton, Alpha International and the charity, Caring for Ex-Offenders, in the UK.

The success of the model in that country to dramatically reduce rates of re-offending through faith based mentoring and support has led to it being endorsed by Home Office, Police and other officials in the UK.

The local presenter was Mr. Adrian Alexander, President of the local Caring for Ex-Offenders (CFEO) as well as President of Caribbean Umbrella Body for Restorative Behaviour (CURB).

Mr. Alexander stated that the CFEO model has been modified for use in this country to take into account the unique cultural and other dynamics of our people. In particular, emphasis will be placed on empowering ex-offenders to take responsibility for their actions, make amends to their primary and secondary victims and become active participants in strengthening the national community.

He indicated that a networking of faith based organisations to assist ex-offenders in their safe reintegration was an essential component to add to the Cabinet approved Turning Of The Hearts programme to treat with re-offending by ex-offenders.

Churches which are interested in working with ex-offenders are encouraged to register with CFEO at their website. Those which do so shall be included in a national directory and shall receive training for their members in mentoring ex-offenders and other core skills in the new year.

Community based and non-governmental organisations which wish to work with ex-offenders were encouraged to register with CURB to form part of a national NGO/CBO directory to lend support to faith based organisations.

Participation in this CFEO Training Day allowed CURB an opportunity to share the work we do with a wider audience through the mini Restorative Justice Exhibition which formed part of the event.

This RJ Exhibition allowed several participating NGOs to display their brochures and other promotional materials for the benefit of the State and faith based representatives who attended the Training Day.

CURB looks forward to working along with CFEO and other organisations in the new year towards developing minimum standards of training for volunteers to work with offenders as well as ex-offenders and their families.

The first event was held on Monday 22nd November, 2010 at the Prisons Training College, Bandoo Avenue, Tumpuna Road, Arima in the island of Trinidad.

The initiative was privileged to receive the support of the Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service, the Penal Reform and Transformation Unit, Prison Fellowship Trinidad and Tobago and the Council of Prison Chaplains and Ministers!

Approximately 160 persons from the Prisons Service, Probation Services, various prison ministries, faith based and community based organisations converged to listen to speakers from the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago.

The UK presenters, led by Ms. Merilyn Wilson, shared with local stakeholders the Caring for Ex-Offenders model of aftercare which originated in the UK with Holy Trinity Brompton, Alpha International and the charity, Caring for Ex-Offenders.

The success of the model in that country to dramatically reduce rates of re-offending through faith based mentoring and support has led to it being endorsed by Home Office, Police and other officials in the UK. As recently as July, 2010 Caring for Ex-Offenders was one of 7 charities (amongst nearly 500 applicants) to receive an award for effective poverty fighting by the Centre for Social Justice in the UK.

The model as used in the UK is complemented with programmes for ex-offenders and other church members to address family challenges, drug counselling and financial management, all from a biblical perspective.

The CFEO model is now in use in parts of the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and now Trinidad and Tobago.

Local presenters included Mr. Adrian Alexander, President of the local Caring for Ex-Offenders (as well as Chairman of the Board of CURB), Mr. Gordon Husbands of the Penal Reform and Transformation Unit, Mrs. Jacinta Bailey-Sobers of the Ministry of the People and Social Development, Ms. Claire Blandin of the Probation Division of the Ministry of Justice and Mr. Richard Barker of New Hope Prison Ministry.

Churches which are interested in working with ex-offenders are encouraged to register with CFEO at their website. Those which do so shall be included in a national directory and shall receive training for their members in mentoring ex-offenders and other core skills in the new year.

Community based and non-governmental organisations which wish to work with ex-offenders are encouraged to register with CURB to form part of a national NGO/CBO directory to lend support to faith based organisations.

As part of this CFEO Training Day, a Restorative Justice Exhibition was held which involved various State and non-State agencies putting their materials and promotional literature on display and engaging in networking with those present.

CURB looks forward to working along with CFEO and other organisations in the new year towards developing minimum standards of training for volunteers to work with offenders as well as ex-offenders and their families.

Commencing in December 2008, our activities have included the expansion of our networking with NGOs in the Caribbean and internationally to encompass those with considerable experience in counter-trafficking initiatives. CURB also created a dedicated Counter-Trafficking Blog to end Human Trafficking in the Caribbean.

Following months of collaboration, CURB, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of National Security hosted a workshop on Monday 13th July, 2009 for prison ministries and prison officers on Understanding and Responding to Human Trafficking. A similar workshop was convened for community-based and faith-based organisations on Tuesday 14th July, 2009.

For details about these workshops please click here.

In October and November, 2009 CURB highlighted the issue of Human Trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago on radio programmes and through the conduct of presentations with faith based and other groups to build awareness of what is human trafficking and how various segments of the society can work towards eliminating this evil and provide effective support to its victims.

CURB is committed to partner with governmental and non-governmental agencies in the fight against trafficking in persons and to assist trafficked persons. Our interest in this issue is not limited to 2009 and the fight to end human slavery will continue until it is abolished!

For more information about how you can be involved in Ending Human Trafficking in the Caribbean, please visit our dedicated Counter-Trafficking Blog.

If you are unfamiliar with issues of trafficking in persons we encourage you to listen to a short testimony of a sex trafficking victim and of a labour exploitation victim. Or click here to view and download public service announcements about Caribbean human trafficking.

Our motto for the Restorative Justice Week 2008 observance was “Your Strength Is Not For Hurting”. CURB believes that it is important to impress upon boys and men in our society that their strength was not given to them by God to cause pain and suffering to women and children in their families and communities. Rather, their strength is given to them by God to protect their families and communities and to work diligently to provide for their loved ones.

In addition, CURB is aware that many young offenders come from families where they may have witnessed domestic violence being utilised as a means of resolving conflicts. We believe that no young person is disposable and intend to work towards providing an opportunity for them to change.

International research suggests that many young offenders are in need of new role models and life skills to unlearn the anti-social behaviour patterns into which they were socialised and to adopt new law-abiding restorative principles and patterns of conduct.

As such, CURB commenced a mentoring programme for young male offenders at the Youth Training Centre. Approval for the programme was granted by the prison authorities on Monday 17th November, 2008.

The Being Somebody programme is a pilot project whereby men in the community will be screened and trained as mentors for the young male offenders and will assist them during and after their detention in order for the young male offenders to successfully re-enter their communities. It will encompass counselling, education, vocational skills, life skills, sports, family reconciliation and employment for the young male offenders.

In addition, the Being Somebody programme will involve the intervention of the faith community in Trinidad and Tobago and professional counsellors to work with the families of the young male offenders to resolve family disputes, treat with employment needs, education/skills needs, and to provide other required support.

Churches desiring to participate in this and similar programmes of providing aftercare for offenders are encouraged to contact Caring for Ex-Offenders (CFEO).

In the media, CURB President, Adrian N. Alexander was interviewed by Donald Berment of Men Against Violence Against Women (MAVAW) on Wednesday 12th November, 2008 on 103 FM radio and advocated restorative justice to treat with domestic violence. On Sunday 16th November, 2008 Mr. Alexander interviewed social worker Darlene Smith on ISAAC 98.1 FM about restorative interventions to address family violence.

On Tuesday 18th November, 2008 Mr. Alexander delivered a Feature Address on restorative justice at the inauguration of the new Board of Directors of Vision on Mission which was covered by the local media. On Thursday 20th November, 2008 he spoke as part of a panel on youth offender rehabilitation on Acts 25 Television’s Youth Nation, highlighting the role of the community in restorative justice to support and restore crime survivors and offenders.

CURB Director, Wayne Chance, interviewed Mr. Alexander on I95.5FM on Friday 21st November, 2008 where he advocated community support for victims and offenders and he closed the week on Sunday 23rd November, 2008 with a radio programme on ISAAC 98.1 FM in which he disseminated information to empower victims of domestic violence and challenge the community to intervene and support victims and abusers alike.

CURB sought to make the point that sexual and other abuses of prisoners are NOT part of the sentence imposed by any Court and therefore must be eliminated. We also educated the public about the problem and consequences of prisoner abuse through editorial letters, press releases and the distribution of Stop Prison Rape brochures and multimedia.

All of these publications and resources are available online from our RJ Week 2007 Archives.

Apart from international agencies such as Stop Prisoner Rape (now called Just Detention International), in the USA and Survivors Swindon in the UK, CURB collaborated with the members of the Council of Prison Chaplains and Ministers (COPCAM), the Rape Crisis Society, Dolly & Associates Limited and other local agencies to provide support and resources for prisoners and ex-prisoners who are victimised through sexual assault while in custody.

The main activity for RJ Week 2007 was the hosting by CURB of an intensive 5-day training programme at the Church On The Rock (Morvant Open Bible Church), Corner Lady Young Road and Caledonia Road, Morvant to equip persons to effectively counsel both survivors and perpetrators of sexual assault. For further information about this landmark training opportunity, please Download the Training Flier.

CURB’s commitment to fully ventilate all issues in relation to the abuse of prisoners has led us to seek funding approval from various government ministries to conduct in-depth analysis and develop comprehensive approaches to eradicate prison sex abuse in Trinidad and Tobago.

We have also set up a dedicated website geared towards eliminating the causes of prison abuse in the Caribbean region. To follow the work of CURB and the growing coalition of Caribbean organisations concerned about ending all abuses of prisoners, please visit our new website – Stop Prison Abuse.

RJ Week 2007 was preceded by and concluded with landmark radio interviews on ISAAC 98.1 FM. For audio files of these interviews including testimonies of prison sexual assault please visit the Resources Page of Stop Prison Abuse.

Please Click Here for a Review of Restorative Justice Week 2007.

Photographs of the activities from Restorative Justice Week 2007 are available here.

Among the events for Restorative Justice Week were the hosting of the nation’s first Restorative Justice Exhibition which was also held on Monday 13th November 2006 at the Port of Spain City Hall in Trinidad.

In preparation for the event, CURB developed a series of brochures about CURB, the Restorative Justice Fund, Restorative Justice and Balanced Restorative Justice. All of the brochures are available from our Brochure Archives.

CURB also convened the First National Stakeholders Consultation on Transitional Accommodation for Ex-Prisoners on Friday 17th November, 2006. We were pleased to have Mrs. Jacinta Bailey-Sobers, then Chief Technical Officer of the Ministry of Social Development, attend and deliver the Feature Address at the Consultation which was convened at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca. A copy of Mrs. Sobers’ speech is available from the RJ Week 2006 Archives.

Photographs of the activities from Restorative Justice Week 2006 are available here.

The theme of the RJ Fund is “Saving the Next Generation” and it focuses on providing practical support for families in need, especially those with children who have lost a relative to homicide or have been victims of crime.

Apart from the launch of the RJ Fund, CURB Director, Adrian Alexander, commemorated Restorative Justice Week 2005 with a visit to the Laventille Girls Government Primary School on the invitation of Marian Taylor – a school social worker.

There, Mr. Alexander was treated to a display of poetry and recitation on the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation by Standard Three students as they shared their understanding of restorative justice.

Afterwards, he was able to share with students and teachers the ways in which they could implement restorative initiatives in their school which is situated in a district with one of the highest murder rates in the nation.

Mr. Alexander was amazed to learn of the large number of students there who had lost a loved one to homicide.

Photographs of Restorative Justice Week activities at Laventille Girls Government Primary School are available here.