The Restorative Justice Centre of Guyana, a pilot Programme, under the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) Programme of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, was today launched at the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Training Centre. The Centre will be led by former Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud.
Restorative justice, as described by the Canadian judicial system, is an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility to communicate about, and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.
The system is founded on the belief that crime is a violation of people’s rights and relationships, as well as principles of respect, empathy, and inclusion. The approach also seeks to mitigate the prison population and avoid recidivism.
Attorney General, and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall said that the program is part of another move to reform the criminal justice system in Guyana. He noted too that other forms of punishment over the last 100 years have not entirely worked to rehabilitate criminal elements or address the issue of crime.
“We are living in a crime infested society… I made that point to present the compelling case for us to go back to the drawing board and rethink this approach to crime. Don’t get me wrong… violent crimes should have the most condign response. All I am saying is that we have to now have to be analytical in our approach and where possible, focus attention on the new concepts of restorative justice that is evolving,” Nandlall said.
The AG further noted that restorative justice will only apply to non violent and minor offenses. He emphasized that these are offenses that carry less than three years imprisonment. He drew reference to the issue of overcrowding in the prisons while stating that this will serve as an alternative to further prohibit more overcrowding in the prisons.
“Restorative Justice offers another approach. It has many components. It brings the victim and the perpetrator together and it tries to repair that relationship and it is a consensual mechanism. Once human relations can be repaired then that could go a far way in ensuring cordial relations. Hardly will you find violence erupting between people with harmonious relationships,” Nandlall said.
The initiative, which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is a collaboration among the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, and the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
