The Restorative Justice Centre of Guyana was launched on Thursday morning in a ceremony attended by government ministers, Joint Services personnel, and members of the diplomatic corps, a release from the Guyana Police Force stated.
It explained that 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 for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.” The system is founded on the belief that crime violates people’s rights and relationships and principles of respect, empathy and inclusion. The approach also seeks to mitigate the prison population and avoid recidivism.