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Date: April 23, 2024 Tue
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jamaica
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204 total results foundAuthor: Amnesty International Title: Public Security Reforms and Human Rights in Jamaica Summary: People in Jamaica's inner cities have for decades been caught between the reign of fear exercised by criminal gangs - responsible for the overwhelming majority of crime in the country - and violent policing. Police killed more people between January and May 2009 than during the same period in 2008. This bucks the trend - so far, 2009 has seen a fall in the total number of murders compared with 2008. It is widely accepted that only by addressing the root causes of the public security crisis - deprivation and exclusion in the inner cities - can there be a durable solution. Far-reaching reforms to the police and the justice system have begun. Steps have been taken to tackle corruption, and a safety and security policy is being drafted to address security and development at community level. As this report shows, these reforms have now reached a critical stage. With political will and commitment, they can help drive forward the changes needed to tackle entrenched human rights problems in the inner cities. Details: London: Amnesty International Publications, 2009 Source: Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 115636 |
Author: Lyday, Corbin Title: Corruption Assessment for Jamaica Summary: In 2007, a newly-elected Government came to power in Jamaica with a strong anti-corruption focus. It has appointed new reform champions to key positions—particularly in the police and customs—to join other recent change agents. Together, these new officials have begun to use their statutory authority quickly and aggressively to uncover illicit wealth and non-compliance with laws and regulation, or to shake up existing law enforcement institutions and practices. Within the first 6 months of 2008, nearly 50 members of the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF)—the most visible arm of both the problem and potential solution — were arrested and charged with offenses linked to corruption. While most of those have been low-ranking officers, the Office of the Contractor General has documented credible allegations of large-scale violations of public procurement regulations. Other higher-ranking allegations are sure to follow. In July 2008, public opinion polls for the first time listed corruption as the second-most serious problem facing Jamaica, behind crime and violence. Because independent media have followed recent developments carefully and systematically, there is a growing recognition by Jamaican society that such violations are not merely the result of mismanagement or incompetence, but a direct product of a political system that rewards patronage at the expense of transparency. While the way forward may not be clear, there is a growing sense society must take action against corruption in order to win the ‘other’ battles of crime, violence, and the squeeze on the country’s treasury made more acute by huge new increases in energy and food prices. The anti-corruption spotlight has been switched to the ‘on’ position and is now likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future, even as the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) pursues new anti-crime measures and alternative means to enhance food and fuel security. The most visible champions have taken the reins within a small number of public sector agencies and ministries, such as the Anti-Corruption Branch of the JCF, the Customs Department, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Contractor-General. But their influence in the current environment arguably goes beyond narrow mandates. Indeed, their continued success or failure rests heavily on the degree to which they can secure non-partisan, publicized support for their efforts from the country’s top political leadership as well as on the operational competence of their own organizations, especially at mid-levels. Indirectly, it also depends on the vigor with which the country’s systems of justice can investigate, arraign, prosecute and convict key ‘big fish’ accused of corruption. Their combined success at more or less the same time will send a powerful message to a cynical and uneasy society that business as usual will simply not be tolerated. The dynamics of these efforts are complicated and potentially dangerous. As the state moves to tighten procurement, clean up ‘ghost worker’ lists, move from low-level to higher-level targeting of corrupt police and public officials on a non-partisan basis, and move toward political party accountability, it will encounter fierce resistance. Many believe that the assassination of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Chairman Douglas Chambers in July 2008 can be construed to mean that the underworld has thrown down the gauntlet against this effort to ‘take back’ the state. Because both Jamaica’s state and society will need help and encouragement to continue to do the right thing, this Assessment urges 3-4 short-term examples of financial and organizational support from USAID/Jamaica including: immediate convening of a national integrity roundtable; personnel secondment; short-term mid-level leadership development; and the engagement of society toward corruption awareness. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development, 2008. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://usaid-comet.org/reports/Jamaica%20Corruption%20Assessment%20Report%20%209-11-08.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Police Corruption Shelf Number: 119695 |
Author: Jamaica. Ministry of National Security Title: A New Era of Policing in Jamaica: Transforming the JCF. The Report of the JCF Strategic Review Panel Summary: The pattern and high incidence of criminality in Jamaica over recent years has sparked profound concern at the local, national and international levels. Current trends in violent crime reflect deep-rooted social problems and a lack of social cohesion. General public distrust of the police and incidences of police corruption have created an uneasy distance between the police and citizens. This hinders investigative efforts as many persons are afraid or unwilling to come forward as witnesses and a majority of serious crimes remain unsolved or unreported. The security situation and ineffective security governance arrangements undermine Jamaica’s ability to establish and maintain a viable economy that can sustain acceptable levels of well-being for the majority of its citizens. Finally, it is widely believed that the security situation is deteriorating and that decisive action is required to turn the situation around quickly and fundamentally. It is against this backdrop that, in mid 2007, the Ministry of National Security (MNS) commissioned a strategic review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). A strategic review panel, comprising domestic and international experts, was established for this purpose. Our mandate was to create a new vision for security governance within Jamaica. As part of this, we were to review the governance, management structures, key infrastructure, standards and performance of the JCF and make appropriate recommendations for reform. The major objectives in accomplishing this included: • enhancement of accountability mechanisms governing the operations of the JCF; • the development of recommendations to ensure professionalism, efficiency and enhanced competence of the entire organisation; • establishment of appropriate standards in recruitment, training and professional development to ensure adherence to internationally accepted best practices; • improvement of public confidence in policing; • review of the legislative and administrative framework governing the JCF, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act. Our task was to develop a set of proposals that would enable the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) to meet its responsibilities towards ensuring a safe and secure Jamaica through a properly governed, professional and accountable police service working in partnership with other elements of government and civil society. Our approach involved reviewing available documentation and literature relating to JCF performance, together with a series of public consultations and discussions with stakeholders from the JCF, the Government and civil society. The consultations were intended to provide the perspectives and views of citizens and stakeholders with regards to their experience of the police and policing reform. These were supplemented by four targeted reviews commissioned to examine the legislation and policy framework supporting police governance, as well as the JCF management structure. We also reflected upon the six previous reviews of the JCF conducted over the last two decades and the efforts made by the JCF during that period to achieve a fundamental move towards becoming a modern police service. This report sets out an integrated suite of recommendations that if implemented in a coordinated fashion, will bring about this fundamental reform and enable the Government to meet is responsibility for a safe and secure Jamaica. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Ministry of National Security, 2008. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2010 at: http://www.mns.org.jm/picture_library/pdfs/JCF%20Strategic%20Review%202008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Community Policing Shelf Number: 119923 |
Author: Special Task Force on Crime (Jamaica) Title: Road Map to a Safe and Secure Jamaica Summary: Jamaica is faced with a deep crisis of public safety and an equally deep crisis of public confidence in the willingness and capability of the criminal justice administration to effectively respond to the challenges. This crisis of public safety is manifested in the extraordinarily high murder rate and the high rate of violent crimes. More importantly, driving the figures are troubling social processes that have culminated in what has been officially described as a culture of violence. In 2005, the country returned a murder rate of 63 incidents per 100,000 citizens. This places us at the top of the ranking as the most murderous country in the world.2 In the five-year period 2001-2005, there were 6304 reported murders, some 6919 shootings, approximately 4324 rapes and 1078 cases of carnal abuse. This high level of violent crime has persisted for some 30 years. Violence has now become a familiar part of everyday life in urban Jamaica. In these regions of the country, there are few persons that remain completely untouched by this violent criminality – regardless of class, colour or creed. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, 2006. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2010 at: http://www.psoj.org/files/Roadmap%20To%20A%20Safe%20And%20Secure%20Jamaica.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Violence Shelf Number: 119930 |
Author: Jamaicans for Justice Title: Killing Impunity: Fatal Police Shootings and Extrajudicial Executions in Jamaica: 2005-2007 Summary: This report updates prior studies on the practice of fatal police shootings and extrajudicial executions in Jamaica, as well as the pattern of impunity that feeds it. In addition to providing the latest empirical evidence on police killings, we examine the recent functioning of the authorities, mechanisms, and procedures charged under Jamaican law with ensuring that police who exceed their legal mandate in the use of lethal force are held accountable. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Jamaicans for Justice; Washington, DC: International Human Rights Clinic, George Washington University Law School, 2008. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2010 at: http://www.jamaicansforjustice.org/docs/08063025G0.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Extrajudicial Executions Shelf Number: 119943 |
Author: Wortley, Scot Title: The Jamaican National Crime Victimization Survey: Final Report Summary: The 2006 Jamaican National Victimization Survey (JNVS) is the first victimization survey conducted in Jamaica that is based on a representative sample of the general Jamaican population. The final victimization survey was completed by a random sample of 3,112 Jamaican residents, 16 years of age or over. The survey focused on the following issues: 1) Patterns of criminal victimization; 2) Community crime problems; 3) Indirect exposure to crime; 4) Fear of Crime; and 5) Public attitudes towards the Jamaican police and other aspects of the Jamaican criminal justice system. Details: Toronto: Centre for Criminology, University of Toronto, 2006. 272p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2010 at: http://www.oas.org/ATIP/documents/victimization_surveys/jamaica/JNCVSfinal_2006%5B1%5D.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 119988 |
Author: Mclean, John Title: Jamaica - Community-Based Policing Assessment Summary: This assessment follows on from a stakeholders’ workshop convened by USAID and held on December 11 2007. This workshop was significant in making efforts to deal with the differences of opinion about Grants Pen in a way that was constructive, action-orientated and forward looking. This report seeks to continue to move this process forward by identifying lessons learned and making recommendations for progressing CBP in Grants Pen and throughout Jamaica. Personal safety is a primary concern for many Jamaicans and reducing the country’s high rates of violent crime has been and continues to be a challenge for the Government of Jamaica and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). For the past ten years, community-based policing (CBP) has been an espoused policy of the JCF with several past attempts at implementation. Lessons from these previous programmes have been included in this assessment. While past CBP reforms have typically not been sustained, they do provide a platform for the country-wide CBP expansion that is now a major priority for the new JCF Commissioner of Police. Currently, the JCF is working to roll out CBP more widely throughout the country. USAID has supported community policing in Kingston, and specifically in Grants Pen, for the past five years: through the 2002-05 CBP pilot activity, the Community Policing Initiative (CPI), implemented by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and through the current Community Empowerment and Transformation Project (COMET), implemented by Management Systems International (MSI). The CBP model piloted in Grants Pen under the CPI was part of a larger strategy by USAID and its partners. The intent was to apply the lessons learned and best practices from the Grants Pen pilot to assist in the JCF’s roll out of community policing island-wide. Some basic elements of CBP were introduced in Grants Pen and the pilot succeeded in having an impact, albeit temporary, on the community-police relationship. The assessment team found that Grants Pen is not a “model” either in terms of success or replicability but that there are valuable lessons to be learned which can assist with the ongoing development of CBP throughout Jamaica. The invaluable work of the private sector in supporting CBP in Grants Pen is particularly note worthy although there are lessons to be learned regarding roles and responsibilities. While CBP has been attempted in various forms and at various times in the history of Jamaican policing there has never been a significant, sustained implementation programme. A number of factors have been identified to be addressed to make such an implementation of CBP more effective. These include leadership and accountability within the JCF; effective partnership working; clear policy support direction; enhanced corporate communications and increased organizational capacity. Nonetheless, while there are inhibitors to change various circumstances referenced in the report suggest that the time is opportune to progress the implementation of CBP in Jamaica. In this respect, the roles of the international donor community and the private sector are significant. This assessment recommends that USAID expands its work on community policing and supports the implementation of CBP within the JCF in several ways, including developing its organizational capacity. A consistent theme recognized by the team during field work was a shortage of resources that constrains the JCF in the most fundamental ways. We recognize that good policing can be expensive. However, good policing is essential to improving the livelihoods of all citizens. As a result, we wish to stress the need for consistently greater resource allocation and accountability on the part of the Government of Jamaica for the JCF. Good intentions and plans are important; resources are critical. The coordinated and focused support of the business community and international donor community in providing resources for the development of CBP has proved important in the past and will be even more so in the future. Any further community policing efforts by USAID or the JCF must be accompanied by effective monitoring and evaluation (Section V and Annex IV and V), which will serve as the foundation for increasing the effectiveness and the impact of any programme and by close coordination and collaboration, not only with donors but also the private sector, which has resources and skills to contribute to community policing, crime prevention, and community development. The assessment team recognizes the difficulty associated with measuring many of the aspects of programme performance in the police environment. However, if initial monitoring and evaluation is designed with focus and simplicity, the utility of the initial results will encourage follow up and further refinement. From a more general perspective, the assessment team believes that while there are likely those in Jamaica who would not support improving police performance, there are a number of factors currently present that do support reform. The new JCF Commissioner has publicly made CBP a top priority. In general, the public supports improved policing, as does the private sector. DFID is conducting a complementary modernization project in both the Ministry of National Security and the JCF, which the USG should encourage to continue beyond its scheduled summer 2008 end date. EU budget support can be used by the GoJ to support the implementation of GoJ policies related to security (including community policing). Lastly, the current USAID COMET project provides a ready mechanism for supporting reform in the JCF. The team agrees that the goals of reform are not in question. That the JCF knows the goals is also not in doubt. How change is to be implemented and accomplished is the primary obstacle. The state of the JCF as an institution presents the most significant challenge. In theory, control of the operational philosophy rests with management. In practice, however, if supervision, process, structure, policy, implementation, accountability, leadership, and all the other components of an effective organization are inadequate, effective management of even routine operations is a significant problem. These daily obstacles are even more daunting when sustained operational reform is the goal. When functioning properly, the foundation of institutional management provides sufficient leverage for change to be accomplished. The JCF foundation is in serious need of rebuilding which can best be accomplished from the inside while taking advantage of support from the outside. Part three of this report contains an analysis of CBP particularly in relation to Grants Pen. Part four of the report examines, in particular, the experience the JCF has had with CBP and looks at current organizational impediments to change and makes proposals for overcoming these. Part five highlight the importance of monitoring and evaluation. In addition, Annex I identifies the key roles for the international donor community and private sector in Jamaica; Annex II details the individuals and organizations consulted during the assessments and Annex III sets out the literature review. Annex IV and V are relevant to the monitoring and evaluation recommendations. The assessment team found there is significant experience to draw on in progressing CBP in Jamaica. While there are many hurdles and barriers to be overcome a significant momentum has been gathered which, with the support of USAID and other partners, should overcome these. For ease of reference, two matrices have been prepared which detail the lessons learned and the recommendations of the assessment team; these are attached as Annexes VI and VII. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2008. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://usaid-comet.org/reports/FINAL%20CBP%20Assessment%20Report%20-%20April%20%209%202008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Community Policing Shelf Number: 119992 |
Author: Harriott, Anthony Title: Controlling Violent Crime: Models and Policy Options Summary: The increase in the levels of crime and violence in Jamaica has been traumatic for the nation’s citizens. The scourge of crime has penetrated even our schools as the youth solve their problems in an aggressively confrontational manner which too often has ended in the death of one of the contenders. The problem of crime is not confined to Jamaica but is one that the entire region has had to confront. This Lecture, which will focus on models and policy options for the control of crime, is timely and should provide practical recommendations to contribute to the lessing of crime in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: GraceKennedy Foundation, 2009. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2010 at: http://www.gracekennedy.com/files/doc/GRACE-Lecture-2009.pdf.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Policy Shelf Number: 120018 |
Author: Leslie, Glaister Title: Confronting the Don: The Political Economy of Gang Violence in Jamaica Summary: Jamaica’s murder rate—62 per 100,000 in 2009— is one of the highest in the world. The small island grapples with violent crime within a context of gangs, guns, and allegations of political and police corruption. This report presents an overview of the history, prevalence, and distribution of gangs, focusing in particular on their involvement in international drug and arms trafficking and the possible influence of deportees from the United States. It finds that there is a dense social web connecting highly organized, transnational gangs to loosely organized gangs whose activities are often indistinguishable from broader community violence. Persistent facilitation of gang activity by politicians continues to hinder targeted violence reduction efforts, despite the government’s public condemnation of crime and violence, and official support of violence reduction. The report’s findings include: There are around 268 active gangs operating throughout the island, five times the number estimated in 1998; Gangs are accused of being responsible for as much as 80 per cent of all major crimes in Jamaica; Over the past decade, murders committed in Jamaica have almost doubled, and gun-related murders have driven the increase; Most firearms seized in Jamaica are traced back to three counties in the US state of Florida, all of which have large Jamaican populations. Most small arms used in crimes are believed to have entered the country illegally, but much of the ammunition appears to have entered the country legally before being transferred to illicit markets. The discovery in early 2010 of large amounts of illegal ammunition and firearms — all originating from the police force’s central armoury—has conclusively linked security forces to the distribution of ammunition and weapons to criminals. Reductions in Jamaica’s violence will be short-lived unless the linkages between politicians, organized crime, and gangs are severely eroded. Community policing may offer an important alternative to security forces’ more repressive approaches to crime control. Details: Geneva: Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2010. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper no. 26: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP26-Jamaica-gangs.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Drug Trafficking Shelf Number: 120297 |
Author: Jamaicans for Justice Title: For Want of a Nail: Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) Submission to The Jamaican Justice System Reform Initiative February 28, 2007 Summary: Violent and organised crime threatens to overwhelm our beautiful island nation and our current justice system is weak, dysfunctional and no match for the tasks it faces. Few would argue that the Jamaican justice system isn’t in a state of crisis. The Jamaican Justice System Reform initiative has laudable goals which Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) supports: a modern justice system that is efficient, accessible, accountable, fair and able to deliver timely results in a cost-effective manner. None-the-less, there have been many excellent studies and proposed reforms that came before this initiative and they have, inevitably, failed to be implemented. Jamaicans For Justice sincerely hopes the insights, recommendations and strategies resulting from this initiative will appropriately address the issues and, further, actually receive the political will and support necessary for change. JFJ believes that as we address unfairness and inaccuracy in the criminal justice system we must do so with a holistic approach. Police and court reform must take place in juxtaposition to be successful and to result in ensuring that even the most vulnerable in our society can access justice and be guaranteed fair and equal treatment. Since its inception in 1999, JFJ has accumulated a considerable amount of data relating to the justice system, including information on issues regarding arrest and detention, access to legal aid, the performance of investigative bodies, and the functioning of the courts. We have witnessed far too many grave injustices and inordinate delays endured by Jamaicans in their quests for justice. It is unacceptable. Jamaicans have lost faith in the system of justice in their country, if indeed they ever had it, and they so desperately want and need to have that faith. We are committed to creating a justice system that will serve all Jamaicans equally and fairly and thereby establish or regain their confidence. We hope that the data and recommendations we present in this submission will assist the nation in moving forward in the right direction: towards a justice system that will bring peace to Jamaica by adherence to the rule of law and to human rights as set out in the Jamaican Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Details: Kingston: Jamaicans For Justice, 2007. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 13, 2010 at: http://www.jamaicansforjustice.org/docs/080609195FJ.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 120485 |
Author: Moncrieffe, Joy Title: Making and Unmaking the Young ‘Shotta’ [Shooter]: Boundaries and (Counter)- Actions in the ‘Garrisons’ Summary: This paper comprises a patchwork of conversations and life-stories from two of Jamaica’s reputedly violent ‘garrison’ communities. The stories come from a variety of sources, grandparents to the very young; however, the principal focus is on the children and, specifically, on how some among them – those labelled as ‘young shottas’ [shooters] are cultivated. Our storytellers expose the effects of deep-rooted economic and social inequalities; the perception that gun violence is a means to personal liberation and ‘power’, particularly among males; and the concentration of conflict within and across like neighborhoods. There are stories about social conditioning and manhood, the role of families and peers and of how children are forced to grow in contexts where there are little or no opportunities for exit and restricted spaces for change. There are also accounts of how some actual and potential ‘shottas’ are attempting to contest the physical, material and socio-psychological boundaries within and outside of their immediate communities, through what Hayward (2000) describes as ‘action upon boundaries to action’. Notably, contestation does not always comprise those productive social actions that are considered crucial for participation and vibrant citizenship; it is often much more complex, combining non violent and violent actions, ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ measures. It is important to dissect how perceptions, such as of legality and illegality, legitimacy and illegitimacy are framed for the stories indicate that in these communities such concepts can have different meanings and that what is considered indefensible in some areas may be both justified and regarded as normal practice in others. Through these forthright and compelling accounts, readers will be exposed to the routes to and experiences of different citizenships as well as the substantial challenges to transformational change, particularly for the children who were born and cultivated in these particular violent environments. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, 2008. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper 297: Accessed July 20, 2011 at: http://www.drc-citizenship.org/system/assets/1052734559/original/1052734559-moncrieffe.2008-making.pdf?1289991772 Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gun Violence Shelf Number: 122125 |
Author: DevTech Systems, Inc. Title: The Safe Schools Program: Jamaica Assessment Report, April 11-22, 2005 Summary: From April 11 – 22, 2005, a four-person team from the Washington, D.C.-based Safe Schools Program (DevTech SSP)1 traveled to Jamaica to conduct a school-related gender-based violence(SRGBV) assessment. Using the social mobilization model as its frame of reference, DevTech SSP collected SRGBV information at the national, institutional, community and individual levels, as well as types of SRGBV. Matrices were created to organize the information collected, which included a programmatic overview, information on NGO partners, and perceptions of SRGBV in Jamaica. DevTech SSP began by collecting information on current Mission programming, which provided a historical overview of USAID-funded and other programs within Jamaica by meeting with the USAID teams working in Education, Health, Economic Growth, and Democracy and Governance. Other data collection activities included a review of reports and other materials, and the administration of open-ended interviews and informal group discussions with government and non-governmental organizations and individuals. Key information collected included: • Types of school-related gender-based violence • Issues and gaps • Promising programs and/or organizations • Recommendations for further action After five days of interviews in Kingston, DevTech SSP divided into three groups: two teams traveled to the field and one team member remained in Kingston to continue interviews with government and NGO representatives. The teams outside Kingston met with a sample of New Horizon supported school representatives (e.g. principals, teachers, guidance counselors, PTA members, students) as well as other NGO and government organizations. These field visits afforded the team an opportunity to more closely examine the programs being implemented in schools, to discuss how SRGBV is defined in schools, and consider possible approaches to addressing SRGBV. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2005. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2011 at: http://www.devtechsys.com/assets/Uploads/docs/publications/safe-schools-jamaica-assessment-report.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gender Shelf Number: 122780 |
Author: Morris, Patrice K. Title: An Analysis of Homicide in Urban Jamaica Summary: This dissertation investigates the social structural factors associated with differential levels of homicide across neighborhoods in urban Jamaica, a Caribbean country with exceptionally high levels of homicide offending and victimization. It fills a void as most of the literature in homicide studies, and most research has been conducted in advanced industrialized countries, and very little in developing countries. Using homicide, census, and electoral data, this dissertation identifies the structural correlates of homicide in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. This dissertation further explores the applicability of two leading neighborhood-level theoretical models--social disorganization and defended neighborhood perspectives--in the Jamaican social context. Results suggest that political civic engagement and poverty are most salient in explaining homicides in urban Jamaica. Homicides are more likely in politically organized neighborhoods with high levels of informal social control and social cohesion. Unlike studies in the United States, this study finds that homicide in urban Jamaica is not related to neighborhood social disorganization. The dissertation concludes with the theoretical implications of the findings, policy suggestions, and directions for future research. Details: Newark, NJ: Rutgers University, School of Criminal Justice, 2010. 154p. Source: Resource: Dissertation: Available from the Don M. Gottfredson Library, Rutgers University Year: 2010 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Homicide (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 117377 |
Author: Guerra, Nancy G. Title: Youth Violence Prevention in Jamaica: The Kingston YMCA Youth Development Programme: Impact on Violence Among At-Risk Youth in Jamaica Summary: We present data on aggression-related outcomes for participants in the Kingston YMCA Youth Development Programme. This program is designed to provide at-risk, lowincome males ages 14-17 in urban Kingston, Jamaica with intensive remedial education, social skills training, and personal development over three to four years. Two samples of youth were included: (a) 180 males, 125 of whom were currently enrolled in the program for at least six months and 55 of whom were in a wait-list control group; (b) 117 males, including 56 program graduates and a matched sample of 60 community controls. For the currently enrolled sample, significant reductions in aggressive behavior were found after controlling for aggressive propensity. For the graduate sample, significant reductions in aggressive propensity and aggressive behavior were found. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential of programs developed by youth service agencies for extremely disadvantaged youth to have short-term and long-term benefits for youth most at-risk, the importance of considering propensity for aggression as a viable program outcome, and support for the notion that it is “never too late” to help youth succeed. Details: Unpublished, 2009. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at http://ksu.edu.sa/sites/KSUArabic/Research/ncys/Documents/r380.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: At-Risk Youth (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 123977 |
Author: Gayle, Herbert Title: 'Forced Ripe!' How Youth of Three Selected Working Class Communities Assess their Identity, Support, and Authority System, including their Relationship with the Jamaican Police - A Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) Summary: The focus of this research is on youth forced ripe and their relationship with the institutions and services on which they depend. In Jamaica the term forced ripe or fouce ripe is used most commonly to describe fruits, especially mangoes that are overexposed to sunlight but lack the other nutritional support to be tasty. Forced ripe fruits are deficient. They are poor tasting and therefore easily discarded. From the ground a forced ripe mango may seem fit but is a disappointment when it is plucked from the branches. Many adults use the metaphor fouce ripe to describe youth, but do so without fully assessing its implications. Many make an assumption of agency, which suggests that the youth are largely responsible for their development or graduation into adulthood and therefore are to blame for the problems or challenges associated with the decisions they make. This position seems to ignore the fact that youth depend on several social services and institutions to develop or at least survive. Many adults ignore the social structures of the Jamaican society, the lack of opportunities and the various forms of abuse that youth endure which force them to become adults prematurely. Much more nurture and protection are needed from the social institutions on which working class youth depend if they are to become properly riped fruits or young adults who can make a positive contribution to themselves, their families, their communities and the Jamaican society. The Forced Ripe Report is divided into four sections. Section (i) is an introduction and sets out the policy context of the study, as well as provides a brief synopsis of the findings. Section (ii) is the methodology. It outlines the objectives of the study, explains the selection of the three communities, and discusses the PEER method and how it was employed in the study. Section (iii) is the findings and core of the study. Section (iv), the final part presents some suggestions for strengthening agency and transforming social institutions in ways that empower young people, especially those of the working class. Details: Jamaica: The University of the West Indies, 2007. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at http://198.170.76.2/jamspred/Forced_Ripe_Gayle_with_Levy.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 123978 |
Author: McLean, Andrew Title: Assessment of Community Security and Transformation Programmes in Jamaica Summary: Crime and violence are major barriers to development in Jamaica. The Government of Jamaica (GoJ), supported by international development partners (IDPs), has initiated a range of programmes to increase the safety and security of local communities. However, little research has previously been done to examine which interventions are most effective. The GoJ commissioned this study to establish which methodologies and approaches are influencing progress towards greater community security and transformation. The GoJ is seeking to determine the capacities required to implement the programmes, the gaps in terms of issues being addressed, and the best institutional arrangements to ensure harmonisation and sustainability. A wide range of GoJ and civil society stakeholders were interviewed as ‘key informants’ at the national and local level. More detailed field research was undertaken into the implementation of the four programmes – CSI, CSJP, ICBSP and PMI – that have had a sustained engagement at the community level. Eleven sample communities were identified and a comprehensive household a survey with a sample size of 3,102 interviews was conducted. Focus groups were also held in each community with community leaders, male youth, programme beneficiaries and either women or children. The report outlines programme objectives, assesses the progress made towards outcomes, highlights any potential gaps in programme design and makes recommendations for their increased effectiveness. The report then assesses the outcomes of programmes on the security of sample communities and reviews the extent to which programmes were anchored in communities. Critical success factors and lessons learnt are then identified. A series of recommendations are then made for the development of a more strategic and harmonised approach to community safety and security. Details: Jamaica: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2009. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Public Safety (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 123979 |
Author: Henry, Astley Title: Peace Brokers - Understanding Good Practice in Violence Prevention and Reduction in Jamaica: Situating Violence and Peace Building in Jamaica Summary: This Issue Brief draws attention to the vital but underreported success stories of organizations working to reduce and prevent violence in Jamaica. It will examine individual-level, group-based and community initiatives. In doing so, it unpacks their operational processes, philosophical underpinnings and uncovers six essential pillars that account for their success. The primary source of the findings of this brief is qualitative interviews conducted in September 2011 with the leadership of the organizations reviewed. Where available, use was also made of prior special reports, annual reports and evaluations. This research was produced within the Geneva Declaration process. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Violence Prevention Alliance, 2011. 12p. Source: Issue Brief Number 1: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2012 at http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Issue-Brief/PMIVPA_IssueBriefoct2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Reduction (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 124453 |
Author: Chadwick-Parkes, Sandra Title: Youth Armed Violence Interventions: The Caribbean and its Toronto Diaspora Summary: With 66 per cent of all homicides occurring in countries not experiencing major violent conflict, armed violence is now a global social problem. Even more alarming is that much of this violence is perpetrated by young people, who are also over-represented among the victims. Youth armed violence is now a grave concern at every level of society and initiatives to deal with this issue have been increasing. More recently, steps have been undertaken to map those initiatives, especially at the community level, and document and disseminate good practice in addressing the problem. In furtherance of the goal of the Small Arms Working Group and Project Ploughshares to reduce violence and build peace, this study presents case studies of two specific programs that are enjoying some measure of success: The Peace Management Initiative (PMI) in Kingston, Jamaica and the Breaking the Cycle (BTC) Project in Toronto. Both programs were selected because of their success with gang-associated, violent youth in Jamaica’s inner city and in Toronto’s Caribbean diaspora communities respectively. Both are linked by the study’s Caribbean youth focus. The link goes even deeper: the perception is that much of the violence in Toronto is perpetrated by youth of Caribbean, particularly Jamaican, heritage. The research highlights several models for addressing youth armed violence. While both programs adopt variations of these approaches, the Armed Violence Reduction and Development (AVR) approach, which aims at reducing the risks and impacts of armed violence, is particularly relevant. PMI intervenes first to quell violence and then offers livelihood opportunities to address poverty. Also acknowledging the direct link between low socio-economic status and violence, BTC offers the opportunity to exit gangs and lead more productive lives through education and by building leadership skills. Both programs also address the psychological issues typical of violence, such as anger management, conflict resolution and the need for life-coping skills. However, because of the complex and interrelated causes of such violence, the models associated with youth armed violence agree on the need for multi-sector, multi-level interventions. Details: Waterloo, ONT: Project Ploughshares, 2012(?). 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2012 at: http://www.ploughshares.ca/sites/default/files/youth%20violence%20manual%20web%20pdf.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 125954 |
Author: Haisley, Stephane Jackson Title: The Drug Treatment Court Concept: The Jamaican Drug Courts Summary: The drug treatment court model (DTC) model was conceived out of the need to solve the numerous and intractable problems that drug-related cases create for court systems. A DTC is generally seen as a court that deals specifically with offenders who have committed offenses while under the influence of drugs and provides an alternative to incarceration. DTCs make use of a multidisciplinary team involving judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, treatment providers, police officers, and educational and vocational experts. The criminal justice and health service systems join to provide drug-dependent offenders with the mechanisms to recover from drug addiction and lead a productive and crime-free life. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of DTCs. After providing an overview of the origins of the DTC, looking at its roots in the United States and Canada, the paper examines the foundation and present-day experiences of DTCs in Jamaica. It also refers to some efforts among various countries in the Western Hemisphere to monitor DTCs and evaluate their effectiveness. The paper concludes with a return to the achievements of DTCs in Jamaica and a brief look at the future of the DTC program worldwide. Details: Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Justice & Development Working Paper Series 20/2013: Accessed May 20, 2013 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/05/08/000445729_20130508115817/Rendered/PDF/774300NWP0J0D000Box377296B00PUBLIC0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Drug Courts (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 128758 |
Author: Rae, Sarah-Joy Title: Juvenile Homicide : A criminological study on the possible causes of juvenile homicidal delinquency in Jamaica Summary: Jamaica, the so-called land of wood and water, normally is the embodiment of a dream holiday destination with white sandy beaches, tropical palm trees, dazzling sunshine and the typical Caribbean flair. Generally, murder and manslaughter are not associated with Jamaica. However, international comparisons of crime rates reveal that Jamaica has persistently had one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Jamaica has been described as the murder capital of the world in 2006 by the BBC news after more than 1’600 people were killed in the year 2005; a tally of at least five people murdered a day. The majority of the homicides are caused by young men. Despite the dimension and severity of the homicidal problem in Jamaica, it is astonishing that literature on this phenomenon in Jamaica is very sparse and the literature that is available either doesn’t conform to the current homicide situation in Jamaica anymore or is inconsistent with other studies. The aim of the present research study was thus to close this gap and to help the process of comprehending the problem of fatal juvenile delinquency by engaging empirical research in serious efforts to describe and explain the epidemic. According to the author, understanding juvenile homicidal delinquents and their actions and thus ascertaining a plausible explanation for their high homicide rate can only be achieved by going back to those whose acts are to be explained: The juvenile homicidal delinquents themselves. The findings of the present study are therefore based upon the data gathered by means of 20 face-to-face, semi-standardised interviews with young men who have committed at least one homicide during the last five years prior to the interview and were aged between 12 and 25 years at the time of the respective homicide(s). The author acts on the assumption that homicides by juveniles can be understood as a reaction that emerges situationally and is based on a complex bundle of causes which leads to an increased susceptibility to homicides. The aim of the present study was to generate a plausible and scientifically substantiated hypothesis to explain the high proportion of male juveniles responsible for the homicide rate in Jamaica. Three groupings were examined: The individual personality characteristics of the homicide delinquents, the social context influencing the individual’s thoughts and actions and the triggering factors in the homicide context. The study comes to the conclusion that the homicides of the respondents of the present study – additionally to the basic prerequisites of the occurrence of homicides in general such as a life in deprivation and the failure of the institutions of socialisation to sufficiently socialise their members – can be explained in high gear by the widely dispread culture of violence. Within this culture, violence constitutes a part of every-day behaviour and killing is perceived as a legitimate form of dispute resolution to which one has adapted because it utterly works. This is an instrumental understanding of violent behaviour. This apparent culture of violence of the underclass society with the deeply embedded willingness to apply violence to solve even seemingly minor disputes is intensified by a high gun prevalence and easy firearm accessibility as well as the wide distribution of and attachment to gangs. Firearms as well as delinquent gangs are two powerful factors that accord power, a feeling of strength and superiority to the individual. Status, power and respect rank high within the impecunious underclass society in Jamaica. Violence is perceived as a necessary instrument to sustain the own identity, status and respect. Thus, the fight for respect in the street culture of Jamaica’s urban inner-city youth depicts an act in self-defence for the parties involved. And such an act in self-defence legitimises to kill. Details: Basel, Germany: University of Basel, Faculty of Law, 2009. 298p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 11, 2013 at: http://www.dart-europe.eu/full.php?id=747104 Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Juvenile Homicide (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 129372 |
Author: Gray, Sherrian Title: Trends in Urban Crime and Violence in Kingston, Jamaica Summary: This case focuses on examining criminal activity in Jamaica, specifically on the country’s capital city, Kingston. Over the past thirty years, there has been a general increase in rates of serious violent crime in Jamaica, particularly within but not exclusively the Kingston Metropolitan Area (which includes Kingston, St. Andrew and urban St. Catherine), as well as, the country’s second city Montego Bay has experienced increases in crime. This case however will examine specific conditions in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) relative to types of crime and the possible explanatory factors such as unemployment, socio-economic conditions and migration that may contribute to crime. It will also highlight examples of the Jamaican Government’s efforts to tackle crime and violence in the country. Details: Case study prepared for Enhancing Urban Safety and Security: Global Report on Human Settlements, 2007. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2013 at: http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/GRHS.2007.CaseStudy.Crime.Kingston.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Homicides Shelf Number: 129432 |
Author: Lyew-Ayee, Parris Title: Geospatial Technologies and Crime: The Jamaican Experience Summary: Geospatial technologies - ranging from GPS hardware to GIS software - are being used to fight crime in Jamaica. Analysts can use these tools to overlay various types of data - such as information about socio-economic conditions or infrastructure - on maps showing the incidence of crime, thereby shedding light on the dynamics at work. An improved understanding can lead to better crime-fighting policies and activities. Jamaica's high rates of crime and violence weigh heavily on the country. Crime has a negative impact on the economy, on society, and on health. Policy-makers increasingly recognize that enhancing human security is necessary for Jamaica's larger social and economic development. Geospatial Technologies and Crime: The Jamaican Experience is a new Small Arms Survey Issue Brief that explains how the security sector can better use technology to maximize the benefits of limited resources, while scaling up the success rate of crime prevention initiatives. Geospatial Technologies and Crime describes the various modes and uses of geospatial technology, and how these approaches have moved beyond routine mapping to offer a deeper understanding of the dynamics of crime. The Issue Brief examines the use of geospatial tools and analysis within Jamaica in three application areas: crime and security analysis; community profiles; and building social datasets to provide spatial analysis. It shows how geospatial technology is being used in crime control applications on a community scale, enabling the development of crime reduction initiatives based on socio-economic planning. This Issue Brief is published by the Small Arms Survey in support of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, a high-level diplomatic initiative signed by 112 states to date, designed to support states and civil society to achieve measurable reductions in the global burden of armed violence by 2015 and beyond. Details: Geneva: Small Arms Survey, 2013. 12p. Source: Small Arms Survey Issue Brief Number 3: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2014 at Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Control (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 131783 |
Author: Chambers, Victoria Title: Securing communities and transforming policing cultures: a desk study of community policing in Jamaica Summary: As part of ODI's Securing Communities project, this case study aims to examine different models of community policing around the world, to understand their diversity of objectives, approaches and methods, and what this might mean for those who aim to support community policing. The Jamaica case study offers a unique context vis-a-vis the other case studies under the Securing Communities project, due to the high levels of urban violent crime affecting the country which present distinct challenges for community policing. In addition, it is a valuable example of a community policing programme which has been a formal state-led process, but has taken place in a security and justice arena that has received significant support from multiple donors. Community policing in Jamaica has been shaped by a number of contextual factors including, in particular, high levels of violent crime which have been fuelled by socio-economic problems and the historical nexus between crime, corruption and a political culture of patronage. This has encouraged the continuation of paramilitary styles of policing that emerged from histories of slavery and colonialism and has perpetuated a deep mistrust in the police among many community members, especially in the urban communities most affected by crime. High levels of violent crime and police corruption have weakened police-community relations and meant that reliance on informal security structures has become engrained in local cultures of protection. Details: London: ODI (Overseas Development Institute), 2014. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2014 at: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8957.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Community Policing (Jamaica) Shelf Number: 133029 |
Author: Moncrieffe, Joy Title: Life Histories of at-risk Youth in Jamaica Summary: OBJECTIVE: The objective of conducting life histories is to inform the complexity of the challenges faced by young people in high-risk and disadvantaged communities in Kingston and St Andrew and to better understand how the programme has intervened in their life trajectories. ACTIVITIES The activities for this consultancy include: (i) in-depth interviews with 10 young people (5 females and 5 males below the age of 30) who live in CSJP participating communities; (ii) transcripts in English of the 10 life histories; and (iii) a one-page summary for each of the 10 life histories. METHODOLOGY In consultation with the CSJP and the IADB, 10 young people will be selected from 5 of the 15 participating communities in Kingston. The following guidelines will help to define sample selection: 1. Communities will have varying characteristics, such as levels of violence; community structures and governance processes; political affiliation; and levels of poverty. 2. Two young persons (one male and one female) will be selected from each community. This will allow for reflection on the differential challenges males and females encounter within the same contexts; 3. All respondents will be between 22 and 30 years; and 4. In order to properly assess the types of challenges young people encounter as well as how persons with different aptitudes and attitudes negotiate these, the sample will include interviewees who have been more and less successful, with similar interventions from CSJP. Consistent with the deliverables, this report contains transcripts of each taped session. The transcripts are preceded by a summary, which entails the basic socio-demographic data provided by each respondent, as well as the researcher's observations and conclusions. For each transcript, patois words have been translated to English; however, in order to retain the flavour of the interviews, the texts have not been translated to "formal" English. Thus, readers should not expect grammatical precision. In some cases, actual statements have been modified to ensure that the reader understands what the respondent and moderator hoped to convey. The moderators used language that respondents would most easily understand; this is reflected in the transcripts. Certain questions are repeated, sometimes to verify data. Repeating previous questions and statements is also typical of how Jamaicans converse. This, too, is reflected in the text. Readers are encouraged to bear these qualifications in mind as they try to interpret the material. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2013. 167p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper, No. IDP-DP-305: Accessed May 22, 2015 at: http://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/5769/IDB-DP-305_Life_Histories_of_at-risk_Youth_in_Jamaica.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: At-risk Youth Shelf Number: 131614 |
Author: Levy, Horace Title: Youth Violence and Organized Crime in Jamaica: Causes and Counter-Measures. An Examination of the Linkages and Disconnections Summary: This Project emanated from the need to establish research-based grounds of solid value for an alternative to the mano dura approach, elements of which the authorities planned to continue using, or even extending, to address Jamaica's high homicide rates. The objective, therefore, was to investigate the relationship between youth violence and organized crime, with special attention given to the role of women and best practices and with the aim of influencing policy. Enabled by the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) qualitative methodology, the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS) research team was able, through focus groups and interviews with key informants, to engage directly with gangs and crews in communities in Kingston, and to a lesser extent, those in Spanish Town. The team encountered "defence crews" that were aligned to communities. These crews did not exhibit behaviour similar to that of illegal, wealth-seeking criminal gangs and, indicated no movement in that direction. Instead, they were strongly supported by women and responded positively to the mediatory and developmental "best practices" of state and non-state agencies. A significant number of criminal gang members also showed interest in pursuing an alternative and legal lifestyle. Women, for their part, were not associated with personal weapon usage. They tried to discourage conflicts and played an important part in community bonding. However, by having sexual relationships with "the enemy", they were often the ones blamed for provoking conflicts. For inner-city people, the community is of prime importance and defence crews and sometimes gangs are embedded in it. The various crews provide a constant source of enjoyment for inner-city people who live in depressed conditions. The research team recommends a national security policy that, rather than focusing simply on attacking the gangs, proposes the combination of community policing with community development and firmly asserting the central authority of the state. In the series of public forums held with security officials, the researchers received support for this approach from high-ranking officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). A number of specific recommendations include the provision of additional resources to "best practices", and women's empowerment, as well as ceasing to grant contracts to criminal gangs. Details: Ottawa: International Development Research Centre (IDRC), 2012. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2015 at: https://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/51348/1/IDL-51348.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 135756 |
Author: Levy, Horace Title: Inner city, killing streets, reviving community Summary: Jamaica stands out world-wide for its extremely high rate of homicides. Less known but no less significant is the steady and threatening rate of homicidal increase - and beyond the numbers the daily, endless weeping, the habituation to violence and its ingraining in the life of a people. Still less accessible to the world have been the predictions of knowledgeable observers on the ground for more than a decade that worse was to come. What did these observers see - who evidently did not find the source of the problem all that abstruse - that those did not who might have been able to check the increase, head off the consequences and prevent the pain? Or if they did, were slow or unwilling to act? And why so unseeing - and unwilling? Over 40 per cent of the homicides in Jamaica - it used to be 70 per cent until the epidemic spread - occur in the communities of Kingston's inner city and in a context of community violence. It is clearly necessary, if this current of homicidal violence is to be checked, to examine the community context, the possible sources there of the violence and any countering attempts that have been made, those in particular that have been effective. Hopefully any conclusions reached will have some impact on policy with those who make it. The task then is to trace, even if fairly briefly, the trajectory of violence since the formation of political parties in the late 1930s and early 1940s, while paying special attention to the underlying continuity factor, which is community. A theoretical framework highlighting the importance of the community in civil society as well as the contrary significance of violence will also be tentatively and summarily advanced. This study, then, adopts as a working hypothesis that, however insufficiently recognised by policy makers, community plays a critical role in local homicide. Historically on a national scale community has been paid enormous attention from the days of Jamaica Welfare, which was started in 1937 by Norman Manley, one of the "fathers of the nation". The specific quasi-community or anti-community formation playing a role in homicide is the "garrison". It came into existence between 1965 and 1975 - the major exemplars, that is, and since then most of lower-income Kingston has been garrisoned - but had its foundations laid much earlier. The organization and structure of governance of the garrison are carefully scrutinized in this paper, with examination of actual instances leading to the identification of a typology that explains much of garrison behaviour. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Arawak, 2009. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Arawak Monograph Series: Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://sta.uwi.edu/conferences/12/icopa/documents/Horace%20Levy%20PAPER%20Inner%20city%20killing%20streets%20reviving%20the%20community.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Communities Shelf Number: 135799 |
Author: Amiot, Michel Title: Jamaica Constabulary Force: Three Year Anti-Gang Strategic Plan Summary: In 2009, the Ministry of National Security (MNS) held a Symposium on Criminal Gangs in Jamaica. Among the key findings were: - Over the past two decades, Jamaica has experienced an increase in criminal gang activity, especially in the Kingston Metropolitan Area, where on average 80% of all murders occur annually; - The signing of a Peace Treaty between feuding gangs in St. Andrew Central, the control of bus terminals in Spanish Town by the major organized gangs and the rise of several gangs in St. James and Clarendon highlight the phenomena of gangs as an ongoing social crisis that critically and directly impacts on the state of crime and public safety in Jamaica; - Gangs are seen to be involved not only in traditional forms of criminal activity but also have expanded their range of activities to include sophisticated and technologically driven crimes; - The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) estimated that there were at least two hundred (200) established gangs operating in Jamaica, mainly comprising of young men between the ages of 16 V 30 years old1. Intelligence estimates showed that one hundred and twenty (120) of these gangs were actively engaged in shootings, murders, and other serious crimes such as car-jacking and theft, robberies, extortions, contract killings, and drug and gun smuggling; and, - Despite the impact that gangs have on crime in Jamaica, there remain gaps in the understanding of the structure and organization of gangs, how gangs might be defined in the Jamaican context, and consequently how the issues might be effectively dealt with to ensure public safety and a reduction in crime and violence. The following three-year Anti-Gang Strategic Plan combines the following 12 strategic measures: - Establish a gang unit within Organized Crime Investigation Division (OCID); - Establish a dedicated uniformed gang enforcement unit in each of the 19 Geographic Divisions; - Develop and dedicate covert evidence gathering and covert tactical resources within the current Flying Squad; - Designate one company of the Mobile Reserve as a Gang Response Unit; - Conduct Gang Specific Training; - Strengthen the intelligence gathering and dissemination process; - Create operational Implementation Working Group; - Widen and strengthen Social Services umbrella group, under PIOJ's Community Renewal Program (CRP) as a basic coordination mechanism; - Ensure that S&JWG adapted, empowered and motivated to oversee implementation of anti-gang Strategic Plan; - Establish or strengthen a fully operational, independent and universal body, with the official mandate and competence to investigate and prosecute all Economic & Financial Crime offenders, wherever they may be in Jamaica; - Strengthen the Judiciary; and, - Employ an Anti-Gang programme manager. Details: Kingston: Jamaica Constabulary, 2011. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/coad/documents/threeyearantigangstrategy.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Anti-Gang Prevention Shelf Number: 135800 |
Author: McGibbon, Karen Anne Patricia Title: Rehabilitation as Reformation: Pastoral Counselling for Criminal Offenders - Confronting Jamaica's Crime Dilemma Summary: This study investigated the efficacy of Pastoral Counselling as a fitting approach in rehabilitating criminal offenders in Jamaica with the aim of reducing recidivism rates among the prison population. Qualitative methods (interviewing, case studies, and focus groups) were utilised. Three basic aims were examined: the effectiveness of current rehabilitative methods, receptiveness of male criminal offenders to Pastoral Counselling and the effectiveness of Pastoral Counselling to rehabilitate criminal offenders. Findings suggest that a desire to serve and please God significantly influences inmates to obey the laws. The combination of spiritual mentoring, discipleship and opportunities to earn an honest living may lead to a productive lifestyle and community service. Findings confirm the literature on Christianity based rehabilitation of criminal offenders that faith-based rehabilitation significantly reduces recidivism rates. Additionally, recommendations are offered for corrections and Christian prison ministries. Details: Edmonton, Alberta: St. Stephen's College, 2010. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 30, 2015 at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235908825_Rehabilitation_as_Reformation_Pastoral_Counseling_for_Criminal_Offenders_-_Confronting_Jamaica%27s_Crime_Dilemma Year: 2010 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Offenders Shelf Number: 135811 |
Author: Wilks, Jason Title: A Dynamic Analysis of Organized Crime in Jamaica Summary: The impact of the reform efforts of the 1990s, as well as the rapid process of globalization, all resulted in far reaching changes in the structure of the Jamaican economy. With these changes, the existing planning and economic models became increasingly limited in scope as they could not adequately reflect the new structural reality. In March 2006, the Government of Jamaica engaged the Millennium Institute to assist it in development of a modern planning tool with the capability to integrate the economic, environmental and social elements. An important component of the model is the sector for organized crime behaviour in Jamaica. The purpose of this paper is to explain the development of the organized crime sector within the T-21 Jamaica model and demonstrate the possible utility of system dynamics in facilitating discussions on public policy. Details: PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE- SYSTEM DYNAMICS SOCIETY; 8; 5105-5129 Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: http://www.systemdynamics.org/conferences/2007/proceed/papers/WILKS382.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Policy Shelf Number: 135897 |
Author: Grant, Lorna Title: A Study on the Profile of Children in Conflict with the Law in Jamaica Summary: The charge was to: a) review international and regional conventions and laws regarding responses to children in conflict with the law (CCL) and, b) to provide a profile of CCL in Jamaica and, to offer recommendations to prevent children from coming into conflict with the law. Many international instruments provide a normative framework for the administration of juvenile justice and the minimum standards for prisons and closed facilities for children in conflict with the law. The report offers a summary of nine of these documents relevant to children in conflict with the law. The international instruments are: The Convention of the Rights of the Child (1990) The United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, 1990. (Havana Rules) United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, 1985. (The Beijing Rules) United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, 1990 (The Riyadh Guidelines) Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, 1955 (Standard Minimum Rules) Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, 1988 (Detention Principles) Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, 1990 United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures, 1990 (The Tokyo Rules) Guidelines for Actions on Children in the Criminal Justice System, 1997 (Vienna Guidelines) For the current empirical mixed methods study, given that there are approximately 400 CCL at any point in time in Jamaica, at least a half of this number were purposively sampled for interviews. Between July 13 and July 30, 2010 data collection from the children occurred largely using the Office of the Children‟s Advocate (OCA) Profile of Children in Conflict with the Law developed instrument. There was a comparison group of 45 children - boys and girls who were not in conflict with the law. They included 24 students in corporate area high schools who were attending summer school and 21 wards of the Child Development Agency (CDA) who were not in conflict with the law. The sample of children in conflict with the law (n=209) were males (149) and females (60). Most were from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) facilities (St Andrew Remand, Hill Top, Rio Cobre, Ft. Augusta and Horizon); others were from CDA facilities (Glenhope, Homestead, Strathmore, St. Augustine and Granville). Thirty-five practitioners working with children in conflict with the law in Jamaica were also interviewed. They included researchers; management and staff of the Department of Correctional Services and Child Development Agency; social workers; teachers; house mothers and guidance counselors. They were asked to describe the children in conflict with the law; the reasons they were in conflict; their recommendations for both preventing and responding to children breaking the law and their perceptions about the effectiveness of various service providers. Quantitative data were analyzed by running basic descriptive statistics such as frequencies and cross-tabulations; and regression analyses. Qualitative data were coded and examined for patterns and themes in the responses. SUMMARY PROFILE The child in conflict with the law is most often, 16 years old, male, with a charge of uncontrollable and, or unlawful wounding, who used a weapon, most likely a knife at the time of the current offence. The offence likely occurred between noon and 6:00p.m. on a weekend during the school year. He is likely to attribute this to idleness and the influence of "bad company" (peers). He is likely to be a poor reader from a low income family, who knows his father, but lives with his mother, who is head of the household, and about two to four siblings (although there are likely more siblings outside of the home). He would have heard often that he is loved, but might have missed school because his parent told him that bus fare and/or lunch money was not available. He would have moved at least once. He would know what it is like to be picked on in school and he would have been suspended and/or expelled at some point from a school in which fighting is relatively common. He is likely to have a relative as an adult confidant and to have a family member who has been in conflict with the law. He is likely to be from Kingston and St. Andrew or some other urban area with gangs in the community. He would have been affiliated with a gang at some point. His community is one in which marijuana is readily available for use and, he would have seen and, or heard someone being shot in the community. Fights are also not uncommon on those streets. He is likely to have used alcohol and possibly marijuana. He has experienced the loss of a family member, such as the death of a grandparent. He is likely to be a football player who admires the likes of Vybz Kartel and Asafa Powell. He perceives religion to be important and he has a part time job. If the child in conflict with the law is a girl, her profile is very similar except that she is likely to be a better reader than a male CCL and she has experienced some abuse. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Office of the Children's Advocate, 2011. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2015 at: http://www.welcome.oca.gov.jm/resources/ Year: 2011 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 136227 |
Author: Burt, Geoff Title: Deportation, Circular Migration and Organized Crime: Jamaica Case Study Summary: This report reviews the impact of forced deportations, criminal and otherwise, on public security and organized crime in Canada and Jamaica, with a focus on transnational connections between deportees, organized crime and Canada. Within Canada, non-criminal deportations should be considered in the context of their impact on Jamaican-Canadian families and communities, where deportation has become a sensitive and political issue. In Jamaica, criminal deportations from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have had a profound impact on public security. Caribbean security officials are adamant that criminal deportees are at least partly responsible for rising crime rates throughout the region. Even non-criminal deportees, who lack opportunities for successful reintegration, contribute to street-level crime. Recent law enforcement operations in Canada have revealed long-standing connections between organized crime groups in both countries. While deportation is not thought to have played a role in the genesis of these criminal linkages, it may be responsible for strengthening contemporary connections. The report concludes by discussing possible mitigation strategies in Canada and Jamaica to minimize the unwanted impacts of deportation on public security. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2016. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2016-R007: Accessed May 4, 2016 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2016-r007/2016-r007-en.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Deportation Shelf Number: 138915 |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Waiting in Vain: Jamaica: Unlawful Police Killings and Relatives' Long Struggle for Justice Summary: For decades, Jamaican communities, especially those in disenfranchised inner city neighbourhoods, have been scarred by an epidemic of unlawful killings by police. This report finds that, although the number of killings by police has fallen in the past two years, the way the police operate and unlawfully kill remains largely unchanged. The vast majority of victims are young men and teenagers. The manner of their deaths and the failure of the state to bring those responsible to justice have a profound and lasting impact on their loved ones. Victims´ families, and in particular women relatives, are left to face a long struggle for justice, as well as frequent intimidation and harassment by police. The Jamaican authorities now have a unique opportunity to end endemic police impunity and strengthen police accountability. The families whose voices are at the heart of this report have lived with the systemic failures described for far too long. The authorities must act to protect them from pervasive police intimidation and harassment and guarantee their access to justice. Details: London: AI, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 13, 2016 at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/jamaica_waiting_in_vain_-_report_eng.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Deadly Force Shelf Number: 140420 |
Author: Harriott, Anthony Title: Crime and Violence in Jamaica Summary: This report is part of an IDB technical note series on crime and violence in the Caribbean. The overall aim is to establish a baseline of the crime prevention arena against which progress can be assessed. The report compiles the available data from multiple sources in order to provide a diagnosis of the size, characteristics, and changing nature of the crime problem in Jamaica over the last 10 years. In addition, the report provides a survey of the various crime prevention and suppression policies, programmes, and projects adopted by government, private organizations, and non-governmental organizations in recent years. In performing the above-mentioned tasks, the report offers an assessment of the data collection, analysis, and crime response capabilities in Jamaica, and makes suggestions regarding the most effective way forward. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2016. 166p. Source: Internet Resource: IDB Series on Crime and Violence in the Caribbean; (IDB Technical Note ; 1060): Accessed April 27, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/7773/Crime-and-Violence-in-Jamaica-IDB-Series-on-Crime-and-Violence-in-the-Caribbean.pdf?sequence=4 Year: 2016 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 145170 |
Author: Jamaica. Ministry of National Security Title: National Crime & Victimization Survey 2015: Final Report Summary: The purpose-built Citizen Security Programme (CSP) is an initiative of the Ministry of National Security, co-funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Created in 2007, the CSP's mandate is to reduce violent crime and increase collective efficacy and perceptions of safety in high needs communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago. At onset, twentytwo (22) communities were chosen for participation in CSP programming based on the higher crime rates of crime experienced therein. In 2007, a Crime and Violence Perception Survey (CVS 2007) was conducted in nineteen (19) of these communities, i.e. all, save those in Tobago. This survey determined not only baseline values for crime victimization, but also community perceptions on a range of social attitudes, cultural norms and feelings and practices regarding safety. Subsequently, CSP has conducted programming in all 22 communities, based in part on the intelligence gleaned from the results of the CVS 2007. In 2015, a second round of the CVS survey was commissioned to establish if and by how much victimization rates and various perceptions about crime, safety and social behaviour in these communities had changed in comparison to the 2007 baseline. There were adjustments in methodology for the Crime and Victimization Survey in 2015 (CVS 2015), including expanded survey coverage and a revised instrument. In 2015, the sample included respondents from the: - 19 original Trinidad CSP communities - for comparative purposes - 3 Tobago CSP communities - to capture mid-stream data - 10 new East Port of Spain CSP communities - to determine a baseline - the nationwide distribution of non-CSP communities - to provide national context The expanded coverage allows analysis of the current survey to determine changes since 2007 and to present national statistics as an additional reference point. In addition, the CVS 2015 will also establish baseline values for the ten East Port of Spain communities earmarked for inclusion in CSP programming. While the CVS 2015 retains the core of the original survey instrument, it has been streamlined to make it more amenable to the public and also includes a new section on Gun and Gang Violence. Details: Port-of-Spain: Citizen Security Programme, Ministry of National Security, 2015. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: cso.gov.tt/ Year: 2015 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Rates Shelf Number: 145928 |
Author: Wortley, Scot Title: The 2012-13 Jamaican National Crime Victimization Survey: Final Report Summary: The Jamaican National Crime Victimization Survey (JNCVS) has been developed and funded by the Ministry of National Security, Government of Jamaica. - The JNCVS is designed to contribute to the detailed and accurate analysis of major crime trends in Jamaica. - The JNCVS questionnaire was developed by Dr. Scot Wortley (Centre of Criminology and Socio-legal Studies, University of Toronto), Dr. Randy Seepersad (Criminology Department, University of the West Indies) and officials from both the Ministry ofNational Security and STATIN. - Although unique to Jamaica, the JNCVS is similar to crime victimization surveys conducted in other areas of the world. This design feature allows for cross-national comparisons. - Sampling, survey administration, data entry and data cleaning have been conducted by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). - The 1 st Jamaican National Crime Victimization Survey was conducted in 2006 and the 2nd in 2009. The current JNCVS is the 3rd in the series, with data collected from October 2012 to April 2013. - The purpose of this report is to: 1) Provide a basic description of the 2012-13 JNCVS; 2) Compare the final sample for the 2012-13 JNCVS with that of the 2006 and 2009 JCNVS; 3) Examine basic patterns of criminal victimization; 4) Examine the issue of indirect exposure to crime (i.e., witnessing crime); 5) Examine the criminal victimization of family and friends; 6) Investigate public fear of crime; and 7) Explore public attitudes towards the Jamaican police and criminal justice system. - When possible, comparisons with the results of the 2006 and 2009 surveys are provided. Details: Port-of-Spain: Jamaica Ministry of National Security, 2013. 361p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: http://www.mns.gov.jm/content/2012-13-jamaican-national-crime-victimization-survey-final-report Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 145929 |
Author: King, Raymond Title: The Effects of Organizational Agility on Transnational Crime in Jamaica Summary: Factors influencing incidents of transnational crime in Jamaica and the international community have been established in the literature. However, strategies to counter transnational security threats have been predicated on a foundation of re-activity, necessitating the need for proactive crime fighting efforts. This study investigated the effects of organizational agility, a proactive crime abatement strategy, on transnational crimes in Jamaica using quantitative analysis. An input-output framework based on economic theory, along with a multiple regression model provided the analytic foundation for this study. Thirty-two years of crime data between 1982 and 2013, one independent variable-organizational agility, and five control variables comprised the analytic model. Chief among the findings are that organizational agility as a proactive crime abatement strategy was found to be inversely related to incidents of transnational crime at α = 0.05 and that the overall model explained 91% of the variation in transnational crime incidents. Details: Miami Gardens, FL: St. Thomas University, 2015. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 7, 2017 at: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/1749780648.html?FMT=AI Year: 2015 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 145952 |
Author: Lumsden, Andrew Title: Black, Green, Gold and Too Much Red: Jamaica's Struggle with Gang Violence Summary: The heinous execution-style murder of 2-year-old Demario Whyte in downtown Kingston on August 23- along with unleashing a wave a fear, anger, and sorrow across the community- has highlighted the urgent need for a solution to Jamaica's epidemic of rampant gang violence. Authorities believe the child's murder was part of a gang feud possibly involving his father, who was also shot during the incident but survived. Eighty percent of all illicit activity in Jamaica is connected to criminal gangs, of which nearly 300 exist island-wide. Jamaica has struggled with gang violence for decades. Successive governments - including, so far, that of current Prime Minister Andrew Holness - have emphasized the use of punitive measures such as curfews and military deployment to stem the tide of violence. All have had only limited successes. While law enforcement is no doubt a necessary component in the fight against gang violence, Jamaican authorities must place significantly more focus than they have on social development programs in inner-city communities, and on building stronger relationships with the law-abiding majorities in these places who too often feel neglected and mistreated by the state. Details: Washington, DC: Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 2016. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2017 at: http://www.coha.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jamainca-Lumsden.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 146220 |
Author: Schmid, Juan Pedro Title: How Much Anti-Money Laundering Effort is Enough: The Jamaican experience Summary: The worldwide fight against money laundering (AML) is escalating. Individuals and businesses that conduct and depend on legitimate international financial transactions are feeling the impact of measures meant to counter illegitimate ones. Countries flagged as having weak AML regulations encounter substantial challenges maintaining correspondent banking relations. However, recent experiences have shown that fulfilling the AML standards, albeit necessary, is not sufficient to persuade financial institutions to keep international financial relations. This is particularly the case with international fund transfers via correspondent banks. Jurisdictions such as Jamaica--even if generally complying with AML standards--face challenges to use banks for correspondent services. Reasons to avoid having correspondent banking relations with certain financial institutions include the following: First, correspondent banking is risky in itself, given the difficulty for the respondent to effectively supervise the AML capacity of the correspondent. In addition, the risk of a transaction depends on country-specific factors, most notably the strength and enforcement of a sound AML system and the type of clients. Money services businesses constitute one category that is perceived as more vulnerable to money laundering. Given these elements, respondent banks may simply decide to sever correspondent banking relations to avoid risks--real or perceived--altogether. This tendency to avoid perceived risks makes finding a potential solution challenging. Not only would countries have to attain the highest possible level of compliance with AML standards, they would also need to develop a communication strategy that effectively conveys that the government and private sector recognize and embrace the money laundering issue and are committed to the implementation of AML efforts. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2015. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, No. IDB-PB-242: Accessed June 19, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/6904/IDB-PB-242_How%20Much%20Anti_Money%20Laundering%20Effort%20is%20Enough_The%20Jamaican%20Experience.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2015 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Financial Crimes Shelf Number: 146272 |
Author: Moncrieffe, Joy Title: British Council Activity in Justice and Security in Jamaica: Background Paper Summary: The British Council, described as the United Kingdom's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, has committed to using its experience, particularly in the areas of education and culture, to contribute to building a more secure Caribbean environment. According to the Terms of Reference for this consultancy, the "British Council sees security and access to justice as crucial enablers of cultural relations". Correspondingly, the "Council offers to become a partner to Caribbean stakeholders in their quest to broaden access to education for the most disadvantaged groups and communities, to address the problem of social exclusion and inequality among young people and to bring about youth empowerment and the participation of youth in democratic processes. The purpose of this consultancy is to inform the British Council's strategy in the programmatic area of Justice, Security and Conflict in Jamaica. In this regard, the Consultant will conduct a literature review of existing local (principally official) reports in order to prepare the situation analyses as outlined in the list of deliverables below: Deliverable Description Section 1: Brief descriptions of: - The constitution (or mandate) and the Rule of Law - The accountability of judicial institutions - The court and prosecutions systems - Legal aid provision - The police (especially their community policing approach) - The prison system - Transparency and Accountability of Public Institutions (Parliament, Political Parties, State-Run Enterprises, Law Enforcement Agencies etc.) and the Political System (Political Campaign Finance) Section 2: Descriptions and analyses of: - Key areas of societal conflict (urban/rural/gender/age/socio-economic) affecting justice and security - The government's position on key issues affecting the Rule of Law, security, justice and conflict - The Private Sector's position on key issues affecting the Rule of Law, security, justice and conflict - Civil Society's position on key issues affecting the Rule of Law, security, justice and conflict - Key programmes in the sector, including education and programmes, which might affect justice and security by focusing on areas like youth at risk, youth employment and women and girls - International organizations involved in the area of Justice and Security and existing levels of donor and lender support, including DFID/UK, USAID, DFATD (Canada), DFATD (Australia), IDB and UNDP etc. - The strengths and weaknesses of the Third Sector, with a list of the most effective CSOs. Section 3: Recommendations - British Council positioning as a convenor, consultant, source of expertise, delivery partner etc. in Jamaica - The types of activity (conflict prevention, police training, prison reform, youth at risk, etc) most likely to attract full cost recovery partnership funding this should draw on a review of our global track record in this field, which will be provided, and conversations with the local team about activity to date - Key partners/influencers we should develop relationships with to be effective in this area - Other considerations, such as geographical focus and activities, to build track record fast. Details: Luton: University of Bedfordshire, Institute for Applied Social Research, 2014. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: https://caribbean.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/british_council_activity_in_justice_and_security_in_jamaica.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Reform Shelf Number: 146720 |
Author: Great Britain. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Title: Detainees under escort: Inspection of escort and removals to Jamaica Summary: Removal flights to Jamaica restarted recently. Many of the improvements we observed in removal operations were evident in this operation. The process of collecting detainees from the immigration removal centres (IRCs) was reasonably well organised, and IRC staff generally played their part in preparing detainees for removal, especially at Brook House, although arrangements at Yarl's Wood were less appropriate. Escorting staff promptly established an understanding with most detainees through a friendly and polite approach and informal conversation. They went out of their way on occasion, for example, to arrange for a detainee's luggage to be brought to the airport. However, an expectation of higher risks had built up around this removal route. This was explained by the fact that four men had protested against their removal at their IRC and one detainee had violently resisted removal on the preceding Jamaica flight. However, these incidents influenced staff behaviour to a disproportionate extent. From the initial operational briefing onwards, staff were reminded of the risk of disruptive behaviour generally, rather than in respect of particular individuals. As a result, seven people were put in waist restraint belts, not because of violence or a need for physical restraint, but because of their 'demeanour' or 'attitude', in the words of staff. In the case of two men who were concealing fragments of a razor blade in their mouths, this was a proportionate response. In the case of a 57-year-old woman who was first forced into compliance by use of a rigid handcuff applied purely to inflict pain, then fitted with a waist restraint belt, the proportionality of the treatment was much less clear. These and other examples in this report illustrate that there was a need to establish and embed a calm, consistent and proportionate approach to risk management through staff training and active supervision of the process. For a detainee (and staff with him) to spend nearly eight and a half hours on a coach before transfer to the aircraft was as demanding as it was inexplicable. Many others spent not much less time travelling. The process required streamlining; staff could rest on the return journey, but detainees went straight into a new chapter of their lives. Small deprivations were added to the experience when detainees spent the 11-hour flight without receiving hot drinks and with only a small plastic spoon with which to eat meals. Some written information was available to detainees about sources of assistance that would be available when they arrived in Jamaica; and staff, including immigration officials, were as reassuring as possible. However, while the receiving officials were welcoming and some who disembarked at Kingston seemed confident about their future, a number were anxious and some said they knew no one there. The flaws in this operation were not all attributable to specific risk factors such as concealment of sharp blades. Although it passed off reasonably calmly overall, talking up risks undermined to some degree even experienced staff's confidence in their interpersonal and other skills. It should be possible to achieve a more measured and consistent approach in future. Details: London: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2017 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/07/2017-Jamaica-escort-final-report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Detainees Shelf Number: 147007 |
Author: Moncrieffe, Joy Title: Tracer Study of Beneficiaries of Youth-targeted Social Prevention Programs: The Case of RISE in Jamaica Summary: The Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) Office of Evaluation and Oversight Office (OVE) is conducting comparative assessments of citizen security in Central America and the Caribbean to better understand what has worked more and less well during project implementation, as well as the reasons for variations in outcomes. Jamaica's Citizen Security and Justice Program (CSJP) is included in the comparative study. In order to improve understanding of CSJP's youth targeted interventions, the OVE commissioned a tracer study of participants in one of these programmes; that is, one administered by Rise Life Management. The objective of the tracer study is to assess to what extent the social services provided by RISE to the youth in volatile communities in Kingston have made a difference in the lives of beneficiaries in terms of employment and satisfaction with life. The outcome will be compared with a control group of youth from the same communities who enrolled in the program but dropped out shortly after joining. The study will differentiate outcomes in terms of duration of participation in the activities so as to evaluate if permanence in the program makes a significant difference in outcome. . Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2013. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: DISCUSSION PAPER No. IDB-DP-307: Accessed September 28, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/5771/IDB-DP-307_Tracer_Study_of_Beneficiaries_of_Youth-targeted_Social_Prevention_Programs.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: At-risk Youth Shelf Number: 131644 |
Author: Meeks-Gardner, Julie Title: The Jamaica Youth Survey: Assessing Core Competencies and Risk for Aggression among Jamaican Youth Summary: THERE IS GLOBAL INTEREST in promoting healthy youth development and preventing antisocial and problem behaviour during adolescence. Not only is positive development an important goal in its own right, linked to academic achievement and socioeconomic success, but many social and emotional competencies also decrease risk for antisocial behaviours that compromise individual health and development and exact costs for society.' Among adolescent problem behaviours, rising rates of youth violence worldwide have been a particular cause for concern and are considered a major public health problem. Nowhere is this problem more severe than in the Caribbean region, where homicide rates for this age group are among the highest in the world. Within the Caribbean, the highest documented homicide rates are in Jamaica, at approximately 60 per 100,000 islandwide, rising to 140 per 100,000 in inner-city communities of Kingston, the capital city. Focusing on Jamaica, these high rates of violence, particularly among youth, have been accompanied by repeated calls to develop and implement effective programmes. International donors, governmental ministries, health systems, and non-profit agencies have pushed for the development of empirically supported programmes and policies to prevent and mitigate aggression and violence from the early years through adolescence and beyond. There is a clear need for greater monitoring and evaluation of programmes which target youth, and a policy mandate to this effect might be useful. However, to date, the majority of available programmes have not been carefully evaluated, making it difficult to differentiate programmes that are popular and/or garner media attention from those that demonstrate evidence of effectiveness. In Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, there has been relatively little progress in developing coordinated responses to youth violence prevention and conducting rigorous scientific studies of programme outcomes. An important first step in building capacity for this type of evaluation is to develop a reliable and valid youth self-report assessment tool to measure risk and to establish programme impact. This includes long-term impact on aggressive and violent behaviours as well as short-term effects on proposed mediators of change, that is, those attitudes, skills and beliefs that are targeted directly by the intervention because of their association with aggression and violence. Further, given that many youth violence prevention programmes emphasise positive youth development, these mediators should reflect core competencies for positive development that are protective against youth violence and also lead to productive engagement in society, greater health, and enhanced well-being. There is debate regarding the relevant contributions of various factors within youth development, especially as regards antisocial behaviour, and about interventions which can improve outcomes.^ We do not review that literature here, rather we underscore the need to have in place an instrument which has been shown to be valid and reliable within the cultural context in order to properly assess both contributing factors and interventions in a systematic and repeatable way. The present study reports on the development and validation o the. Jamaica Youth Survey. This survey was developed as part of a project funded by the World Bank to evaluate individual-level programmes for promoting well-being and preventing violence among teenage boys and girls (ages 12-18 years) in Jamaica. Short-term outcomes included five core competencies for healthy development that have been linked empirically with aggression and violence (described below) and that typically are targeted by community-based positive youth development and prevention programmes. Long-term outcomes emphasised distinct types of aggressive and violent behaviour and aggressive propensity (intent to behave aggressively). All items and scales were modified from previously validated instruments. Although a number of youth development studies have been carried out in the Caribbean, we are unaware of any other detailed assessments of instruments for measuring this kind of risk in the Caribbean. Details: Newark, DE: University of Delaware, Prevention and Culture Lab, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2017 at: http://sites.udel.edu/paclab/files/2013/05/Meeks-Garnder-et-al.-2011-Jamaica-Youth-Survey.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Adolescents Shelf Number: 148099 |
Author: Mogensen, Michael Title: Corner and Area Gangs of inner-city Jamaica Summary: The history of organised armed violence in Jamaica is linked to the violent political conflict that has taken place periodically on the island since the late 1960s. However, the roots of organised violence in Jamaica can be traced back to the heated electoral disputes of the late 1940s between politicians Norman Manley (founder of the People's National Party) and Alexander Bustamente (founder of the Jamaica Labour Party). "There is a clear sense in which the violence of the late 1960s flourished so rapidly because there was a history of inter-party violence." The division of inner-city neighbourhoods according to political allegiance occurred in the 1940s and 1950s, with party supporters choosing to live together in certain sections (yards) and rival party supporters forced out of others. This segregation of certain areas occurred some twenty years before the creation of politically controlled housing schemes. The growth of these divided, garrison communities in Kingston, such as Craig Town, Tivoli Gardens and others, has been one of the key factors in the development of organised violence in Jamaica and has "fostered the escalation of political violence and nurtured the growth of gun and drug crime." In Jamaica violence has taken on different forms: political violence, drug-related violence and domestic violence. As Harriott points out, the problem of violent crime has been a major issue in Jamaica since the mid-1960s, as reflected in the tough-on-crime policies of the 1970s. Between 1960 and 1976, illegal possession of guns rose from 8 per 100,000 to 90 per 100,000 inhabitants. Details: Children in Organised Armed Violence, 2004. 15p.15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2018 at: http://www.helpjamaica.org/downloads/reports/COAV_report.pdf Year: 2004 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 149268 |
Author: Leslie, Dacia Latoya Title: Criminal Recidivism in the Caribbean: improving the Reintegration of Jamaican Ex-Prisoners Summary: Finding ways to reintegrate ex-prisoners into Jamaican society is a pressing but complex social, economic and moral issue. This is due, not least, to the financial costs of prison recidivism and growing concern over the Jamaican state's capacity to meet the needs of a large number of its citizens subject to forced repatriation to their homeland by overseas jurisdictions due to their offending. The absence of a mature and reliable evidence base about the extent and nature of criminal recidivism in Jamaica also contributes to the challenges faced by policy makers and service providers seeking to reduce incidence of crime. This is in part related to the dearth of research on what is a sizeable and multi-faceted subject matter which has impeded a more decisive and progressive political and policy response. While there are generic criminological themes in regard to recidivism, desistance and reintegration of offenders that cross international boundaries (see Harriott 2000; Headley 2006), there remains the not inconsiderable challenge of identifying culturally specific features that bear upon crime and the policies and programmes that might encourage sustained abstinence from offending and which could be better served by a distinctive Caribbean criminological epistemology. To that end, this exploratory study seeks to offer insights into the social worlds of male and female offenders in Jamaica in order to better understand what they deem to be the influences that led them to crime and those which might at least assist them in desisting from law-breaking. The study is based upon a largely qualitative research design comprising semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Some 54 inmates participated who had received more than one prison sentence and in that sense are termed here a 'recidivist', albeit the contested nature of this term and related key concepts such as desistance and reintegration will be subject to scrutiny in the early chapters of this thesis. One other inmate who could not be regarded a prison recidivist mainly because he was awaiting trial on this his second time in prison was interviewed in prison and added to the study. All 55 interviews and most focus groups were conducted with persons being held in three of Jamaica's maximum security correctional facilities. In addition, eighteen other individuals who had managed to stay out of prison following their release were interviewed within the community. A further set of interviews were conducted with 17 organisational leaders and spokespeople representing state and voluntary agencies engaged in the process of offender reintegration. Their perspectives reveal illuminating contrasts with those provided by the ex-prisoners about the likely ingredients of an effective return to a life without serious offending. The findings will hopefully assist policy makers and professionals in thinking about the steps that might be taken to tackle Jamaica's high rate of serious crime. As the findings will suggest, such steps must involve a renewed understanding, sense of belief and commitment towards effective reintegration. Additionally, there needs to be a more robust conviction that persons leaving prison can indeed change but that they face embedded hostility and exclusion from a number of quarters. This study provides insights into why ex-prisoners believe that there is resistance amongst influential others in the community to accepting them as 'reformed'. Such perspectives should assist local agencies in better understanding the impact of negative community attitudes and point to ways to counter social exclusion and help promote effective reintegration. Moreover, the findings point to the importance of strategies at national and local level that can bestow upon ex-prisoners a more meaningful sense of belonging and positive citizenship that can help reinforce the reintegration process. Throughout, the voices and experiences of the ex-prisoners come to the fore to challenge accepted policy and criminological wisdoms and to point out the need for more creative and determined initiatives to help people from prison find a new and better future. Details: Cardiff, UK: Cardiff University, 2016. 382p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 7, 2018 at: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/93842/ Year: 2016 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Prisoner Reentry Shelf Number: 150084 |
Author: Blake, Damion Keith Title: Violent Actors and Embedded Power: Exploring the Evolving Roles of Dons in Jamaica Summary: The Jamaican don is a non-state actor who wields considerable power and control inside that nation's garrison communities. A don is a male figure, usually from the community in which he plays a leadership role. Garrisons in Jamaica have often emerged as neighborhoods that are don-ruled shadow versions of the official State. These are poor inner city communities characterized by homogeneous and, in some cases, over-voting patterns for one of Jamaica's two major political parties: the Peoples National Party (PNP) or the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). This dissertation explores the major roles dons played in Jamaican garrisons. It focused on one community in the downtown metro area of one of the nation's cities. Additionally, it investigated the factors that account for the evolution of such roles performed by dons from the 1960s to the present. I used governance theories and the concept of embeddedness as an analytic framework to interpret the power and authority dons have in garrisons. Dons, as it turned out, perform four central roles in garrisons: security/protection, social welfare, partisan mobilization and law, order and conflict resolution via "jungle justice" measures. Different types of dons perform alternate mixes of these roles. The case study described here led me to develop a taxonomy of these informal community leaders by separating them into Mega, Area and Street Dons. I argue overall that dons are embedded governing authorities in Jamaican garrisons based on the socio-economic and political roles they carry out. By examining the responsibilities of dons in Jamaica, this analysis contributes to the literature on the activities of non-state criminal actors and their forms of influence on governance processes. The study suggests that it may now be appropriate to re-think the nature of governance and the actors we broadly assume are legitimate holders of power and authority in developing nation contexts. Details: Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2012. 213p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/49569/Blake_DK_D_2012.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Drug Trafficking Shelf Number: 150186 |
Author: Arias, Enrique Desmond Title: Getting Smart and Scaling Up: The Impact of Organized Crime on Governance in Developing Countries: A Desk Study of Jamaica Summary: In May 2010, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding ordered Jamaican security forces to invade the neighborhoods of Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica's capital, to execute an arrest warrant for Christopher "Dudus" Coke, the local "don." Coke was the head of the infamous Shower Posse, a gang that controlled sizable portions of organized crime activity on the island and was accused by the United States government of drug trafficking and racketeering. Gangsters from around the Kingston area converged on these neighborhoods in an effort to protect Coke who ran a sizable and complex criminal operation in his zone of control and who had important connections to other local criminal organizations. Residents of the community had turned out several days before to demand the government give up its efforts to bring Coke to justice. Faced with considerable and well-organized armed opposition Golding warned residents to evacuate. On May 28th, troops entered the area and carried out a brutal operation killing some 70 residents, the majority of who had no connections to criminal groups whatsoever. These events represented the culmination of eight months of intense political and diplomatic wrangling following a request by the United States government for Coke's extradition. The Golding government had done everything in its power and more to avoid arresting Coke, including hiring a US-based law firm to lobby the Obama Administration to withdraw its request. When Golding's attempt to evade Jamaica's international treaty obligations came to light, the country's political establishment shuddered. Golding resigned as leader of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), potentially opening the door to new elections. His party, however, refused to accept his resignation and the administration staggered onwards. The US government found innovative ways to pressure his government, including cancelling the US visa of prominent JLP supporters, thereby creating significant business difficulties and embarrassment for a portion of the Jamaican elite. Ultimately, the violent military incursion into Kingston Western was unsuccessful in that Coke managed to escape. But with no place to hide, he soon surrendered and was extradited to the US He pled guilty to racketeering charges in a New York court and in June 2012 received a maximum prison sentence of 23 years. Golding, on the other hand, offered exemption from persecution to other prominent gang leaders across Kingston in exchange for relative peace. Lower violence rates in late 2010 and early 2011 testify to those arrangements. There is little reason to believe that violence rates will remain at lower levels without more decisive action on the part of the state. Yet, in the political arena, efforts to address the intimate ties between miscreants and government officials have been scant. The only powerful figure to suffer from the Coke debacle was Attorney General and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne who was forced to step down. Still, for all its ignominiousness, the intervention of Bruce Golding provides useful insight into the complex relationship between organized crime and the Jamaican political system. This paper explores why Golding risked his own political career and created difficulties for his prominent supporters to prevent the arrest of a thug running a criminal operation in one of the poorest areas of Kingston. It offers a detailed account of the nature of organized crime in Jamaica and the process through which those political-criminal relationships evolved. The paper is organized as follows: the first section discusses the regional, political, institutional, and social context. It provides an overview of four major phases marking the political-criminal relationship in urban Jamaica before turning to the prevalent norms of behavior such as widespread political corruption that have nurtured organized criminal activity and cemented political-criminal relationships in Jamaica over several decades. With the political-criminal nexus as a backdrop, Section II analyzes the nature of organized crime in Jamaica, with specific emphasis on racketeering and drug trafficking. Section III sheds some light on the impact of organized crime on governance, with a particular focus on state legitimacy and provision of basic services. The final section puts forward a series of recommendations for responding to the impact of organized crime on governance in Jamaica. Details: New York: New York University Center on International Cooperation, 2013. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2018 at: https://cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/kavanagh_crime_developing_countries_jamaica_study.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Developing Countries Shelf Number: 151112 |
Author: Caribbean Policy Research Institute Title: Background Brief: Jamaican Lottery Scam Summary: The hysteria surrounding the impact of the lottery scam on key Jamaican sectors has been fuelled by the media, with for instance Foxnews.com, suggesting the value of the lottery scam to be as much as US$300 million in one year. Though little context is offered in such reports, there is consensus that there has been a significant increase in ICT-based fraud globally as people become more dependent on ICT networks. As a small developing state with a strong ICT infrastructure, Jamaica has been a haven for international investors seeking to cash in. If adequate systems are not put in place to mitigate the impact of this criminal activity, further damage will be done to Jamaica's economy and international image. Additional resources and expertise have to be gathered in order to understand this phenomenon so as to identify and implement long-term, sustainable solutions. Details: Kingston: University of the West Indies, Caribbean policy research Institute, 2012. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2019 at: https://www.capricaribbean.org/documents/background-brief-jamaican-lottery-scam Year: 2012 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Economic Crime Shelf Number: 154822 |
Author: Harriott, Anthony Title: From Force to Service: Reforming the Jamaican Police Summary: Jamaicans must face some uncomfortable truths about our violent crime problem. One such truth is that if we are to significantly lower the rates of homicide and other violent crimes and weaken the power of criminal networks in the society, we cannot avoid a renewed attempt at a thorough transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). This transformation should bring the force more in line with democratic policing principles and methods of work and make it more effective as an instrument of crime prevention and control. Details: UWI (Mona), Jamaica: Institute of Criminal Justice and Security, 2018. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: R1808: Accessed March 6, 2019 at: https://www.capricaribbean.org/documents/force-service-transforming-jamaican-police Year: 2018 Country: Jamaica Keywords: Criminal Justice Reform Shelf Number: 154823 |