BACKGROUND:
On September 28, 2001, USAID/Jamaica signed a US$13 Million Strategic Objective Grant Agreement (SOAG) with the Government of Jamaica to improve citizen security and participation in democratic processes in Jamaica. This SOAG was signed with two major components: (1) civil society more actively engaged in issues of governance; and (2) improved efficiency of the justice system. In December, 2001, USAID obtained legislative approval which enabled it to provide assistance to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, enabling a third component, improved police-community relations, to be added to the agreement.
The three components, or projects, were implemented over a five-year period from the date of signature of the Grant Agreement. This period ended on September 30, 2005.
ACTIVITIES:
The first component Strengthening Civil Society: sought to broaden and deepen civil society’s ability to promote good governance. Under the banner MSI/CIV-JAM, this activity was implemented by Management Systems International (MSI) of the U.S. and supported civil society organizations working in the arenas of justice, human rights, improved governance and citizen security. MSI/CIV-JAM worked directly with more than 20 partner CSOs and the support was focused on the areas of (a) Organizational Capacity Building; (b)Networking and Coalition Building; (c) Citizen Awareness and Media; and (d) Increasing Engagement of Civil Society in Issues of Policy and Governance. USAID/Jamaica also provided support to the implementation of various human rights awareness building activities through small grants to the Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) and Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ). Under a grant which ended on September 30, 2005, the IJCHR produced public education materials for primary, secondary and tertiary level schools in Jamaica and integrated human rights education materials into the school curriculum. With USAID’s support, the JFJ established two centralized repositories of human rights and justice information (one urban, one rural) including statistics and reports which are being made accessible to all in the NGO community and the wider public through both electronic and written media. The JFJ also published the 2003 and 2004 Justice Reports, named “The Victims Voice”, which compiled alleged human rights abuses as told by the families of crime victims in Jamaica.
The second component Administration of Justice: Strengthened the rule of law by improving the operational environment of the criminal justice system. USAID/Jamaica assisted the Ministry of Justice in establishing computerized integrated management information systems in seven (7) Resident Magistrates Courts which allows these courts to store, access and disseminate information in a more efficient fashion. This system enables quicker access to the information that is needed to adjudicate cases, many of which were in backlog status. In addition, the electronic recording of Resident Magistrates Court proceedings was done through the acquisition of automated court reporting equipment. These acquisitions allowed for quicker and more efficient production of court transcripts by court reporters trained in Jamaica. This initiative has considerably strengthened the ability of the Resident Magistrates Courts to expeditiously hear a greater proportion of the cases coming before them.
USAID/J-Car also provided support to the Ministry of Justice to place the Laws of Jamaica Online and established a Justice Education Unit which makes justice sector information more accessible to the wider public. With the support of USAID/Jamaica, the Ministry of Justice made all the twenty-nine (29) volumes of the Laws of Jamaica available on the internet. Now the members of the public can easily access electronically those laws which govern their lives in an expeditious fashion. USAID/J-Car also assisted the Ministry of Justice in acquiring a Standby Electrical Generator for the Supreme Court. The acquisition of the generator has significantly increased the efficiency of the Supreme Court, as trial matters are no longer being aborted due to frequent and prolonged disruptions in the public electricity supply.
The third component – Improving Community Policing: Strengthened police/community relations in a troubled, inner-city pilot community in Kingston, the CapitalCity. A three-year Cooperative Agreement was signed between USAID/Jamaica/Caribbean and the United States Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) on October 3, 2002, for the provision by PERF of technical assistance services to enable the creation of a full-service model community police station around which the following strategies would be realized:
· Moving the Jamaica Constabulary Force in a positive direction toward a pro-active, decentralized model of community policing;
· Reducing police fear of the community and community fear of the police; and
· Engaging community stakeholders as a catalyst for change in community development and crime reduction.
USAID/Jamaica, through PERF, mobilized a Community Policing Advisor who provided technical assistance and worked closely with USAID/Jamaica, the Jamaican private sector, the American Chamber of Commerce in Jamaica, the wider donor community and an advisor to the Commissioner of Police provided by the U.S. Embassy, in the realization of component objectives. Significant gains were realized in creating opportunities for police and citizens to work together collaboratively through the provision of training to both groups and the facilitation of community workdays, public meetings, sporting and community events etc.
In addition, a Jamaican NGO,the Stella Maris Foundation (SMF), provided support in implementing the community relations building component of the program. The services that were provided by this NGO included alternative dispute resolution, domestic violence reduction training, community outreach, mentorship and public education around issues of violence. SMF worked closely with other NGOs, community-based organizations and citizens’ groups in and around the pilot community policing community to carry out its community relations building mandate. The work undertaken by SMF complemented the work in community policing that was undertaken by PERF and provided support for other dimensions of community development that enhanced the development of community policing interventions in this dynamic and complex policing environment.
A program of mentorship was established in the community in support of the community policing initiative which recognized the importance of targeting at-risk and other youth. In this regard, PERF established a mentorship program in the ShortwoodPracticingSchool in the pilot community policing area which had the majority of its population resident therein. Under a grant from USAID, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) the premier Jamaican NGO in this area is implemented a second mentorship program in another High School in the community. YOU also produced a parenting handbook which was used in the community and in sessions with parents. The Constant Spring Police Station which presently has policing jurisdiction for the pilot community policing community identified five police officers who are participated on an ongoing basis in the mentoring program which was developed. The mentoring program was supported by both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the local private sector. The program targeted children between the ages of 12 and 14 years of age.
Election Support
In addition to the three project components mentioned above, USAID/Jamaica-Caribbean provided grant assistance to the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the CarterCenter to enable those two organizations to provide local and international observer presence during the conduct of the October 16, 2002, general election. The NDI worked closely with the premier NGO in local elections observation in Jamaica, the Citizens Action For Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), in providing institutional support which facilitated the recruitment, training and deployment of an observer presence of 2,500 volunteers throughout Jamaica on election day. The CarterCenter had established a field presence in Jamaica at that time and provided a contingent of international observers which numbered sixty persons. These observers had a roving presence at the various polling stations on election day unlike the local observer presence marshaled by CAFFE. President Carter headed the international observer team which also included the former President of Costa Rica, Miguel Angel Rodriquez.
