Trelawny gets a taste of the Mobile Justice Unit

WESTERN BUREAU:

Residents in Trelawny got an opportunity to utilise the services of the Ministry of Justice’s Mobile Justice Unit last Friday when it made a stop at the Trelawny Justice Centre at Rock, near Falmouth, offering a range of services.

According to Mishka Anderson, the legal consultant in the Mobile Justice Unit, several persons came to seek assistance on a range of matters, including the expungement of criminal records.

“We saw 37 patrons and of the number, 81 per cent were males and 19 per cent females,” explained Anderson. “The expungement of criminal records accounted for 87 per cent of the matters dealt with. The other 13 per cent included criminal matters and custody.”

Trelawny Custos Paul Muschett, who operates from an office at the Trelawny Justice Centre, said he was pleased to see the justice unit coming into the parish and satisfying the needs of the residents who turned out to seek assistance.

“It is a marvellous initiative as it brings justice to the people. It is good to see the wheels of justice turning,” said Muschett. “It must have been a very positive result for them, because I understand that the unit is scheduling another visit for June 29.”

ROLES OF THE UNIT

According to Anderson, the justice unit deals with a range of matters, including divorce, employment issues, wills, land disputes, and estate matters. She said the unit’s service is available to churches and community groups on request.

The centre was opened in April 2018. It currently houses a Child Diversion Office, where matters relating to children are dealt with; and a Restorative Office, which focuses on holding offenders accountable when they fall out of line.

“It is a different way of thinking about crime and conflict, where all parties with a matter at stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of an offence,” said Anderson.

According to Stacian Winter-Thomas, the parish manager for the Trelawny Justice Centre, the centre has been quite busy over recent months in conducting conferences and seminars to sensitise residents on a range of issues.

“As of June 2020, the Restorative Office has conducted 25 conferences and 36 sensitisation seminars with stakeholders and community members. Over 1,000 members were engaged in these sessions,” said Winter-Thomas.

“The Trelawny Justice Centre is committed to serving the people of Trelawny within its mandate, which is to make justice more accessible to the average person,” added the parish manager.