PORTLAND, Jamaica — The State-run Child Diversion programme will now be expanded to the nation’s schools. According to Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck, his Ministry is to have talks with the education ministry this week to move the initiative along.

In a release, Chuck shared that the programme has “trained a minimum of 30 mentors in every parish who can assist children who have got into trouble.”

“Next week I will be meeting with Minister [Fayval] Williams where we will be launching not only restorative justice but some input of child diversion in the schools where the safety and security officers… can refer that child to child diversion,” he continued.

Chuck has long argued that placing children before the court system and labelling them as criminals so early in life can lead to them becoming repeat offenders. The National Child Diversion Programme is seen as a vital plank in efforts to address that concern as it identifies measures to deal with child offenders, without resorting to formal judicial proceedings.

Chuck, who was speaking at a meeting at Port Antonio High School, says his Ministry will continue to work closely with Community Safety and Security Officers to implement the programme in schools.

He also used the meeting to push the related issue of the availability of restorative justice and counselling within the wider population.

“The ministry of justice will pay for all of this and it helps to reduce the backlog in the courts. Restorative justice is free, victim service counselling is free, legal aid is free and child diversion free. Here I am as the Minister begging people to use the service and we have the funds to pay. We have money and can get more money. We have just about $100 million to be used,” he said.

– Everard Owen