Non-compliance for child diversion project below 3 per cent

The National Child Diversion Programme is reporting a low non-compliance rate among participants of less than three per cent.

This means that children are consenting to, and are engaging in, the treatment programme designed as part of the diversion process.

Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, National Child Diversion consultant Ruth Carey said that the low non-compliance rate is encouraging for the programme, which was implemented in March 2020 and is still in its infancy.

It is aimed at putting measures in place to divert children who come into conflict with the law away from the formal criminal justice system.

“I would like to indicate that in our data, we do have some cases of children who have been non-compliant, but to show you how well the programme is doing, that number is less than three per cent of the overall number of children that have been referred,” Carey said.

She noted, for example, that in the case of the St Thomas office, which had 55 referrals, “there are zero children who have been non-compliant, and these children are almost at the end of their treatment”.

For St Mary, 53 children were referred, with only two being non-compliant.

“This non-compliance really is as a result of financial challenges, which the ministry is now reviewing to see how best we can support our parents, guardians and children in our programme,” Carey said.

As at December 31, 2020, a total of 230 children were being treated under the programme – 196 males and 34 females. Of the males, 137 fell in the 15 to 17 age group; 29, ages 12 to 14; and 30, 18 years and above.

For the females, 14 fell in the 12 to 14 age group; 19, ages 15 to 17 years; and there was one female in the 18 and older category.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, who also addressed the Think Tank, lauded the work of the Children’s Court judge responsible for the parishes of St Mary, St Thomas and Portland for utilising the legislation and increasing referrals to the programme.

There were 42 referrals from Portland.

“She has also been following up with these children to see how they are doing,” he said.

He noted that at a recent meeting with parish court judges, “I had to congratulate her and ask the other 50-odd judges across Jamaica to follow her example and learn from her. This is because we are aware that a lot of other children in other parishes are being dealt with judicially, rather than being diverted to the programme”.

“So, let me just say that the programme is in its infancy, the parish court judges were only recently trained and we are expecting during the course of 2021, the number of children will probably double or triple. That is why, very shortly, I will be speaking with the custodes and the justices of the peace to try to encourage more persons to be trained as mentors,” Chuck said.