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CAPRI Launches Study on the Costs of Sexuality Based Discrimination in Jamaica

On Tuesday, October 29, 2019, CAPRI with the kind support of the European Union, launched its study on the Economic and Societal Costs of Sexuality Based Discrimination in Jamaica at a public forum titled, Paying for Prejudice. CAPRI brought together Dr. Damien King, Executive Director, CAPRI; Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid, TV Host and Social Media Influencer; Mr. Jaevion Nelson, Executive Director, Equality for All Foundation Jamaica; Ms. Donna Duncan-Scott, Group Executive Director, Culture and Leadership, JMMB; and Dr.

CAPRI Launches Study on Jamaican Gangs

CAPRI launched its study, Guns Out: The Splintering of Jamaica’s Gangs, at a public forum on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel. CAPRI invited Major General Antony Anderson – Commissioner of Police, Ms. Kellie Magnus – Jamaica’s Country Lead at Fight for Peace and Mr. Jeremy Taylor QC - Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, to join Ms. Joanna Callen – Researcher at CAPRI for the panel discussion. Dr. Damien King – Executive Director at CAPRI moderated the evening’s discussion.   

CAPRI Conducts Study on Jamaican Gangs

Jamaica’s violence problem is not new. Since the mid 1970’s the island’s per capita murder rate has steadily increased, by an average of 4.4 percent per year, from 19.8 per 100,000 in 1977, to 60 per 100,000 in 2017. In 2019, Jamaica was recorded as having the second highest murder rate in the Latin America and the Caribbean. Jamaica’ extreme violence rate is often attributed to gangs.

CAPRI Hosts Review Meeting with Key Stakeholders for its Research on Gangs in Jamaica

CAPRI in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) held a review meeting with key stakeholders for its research on Gangs in Jamaica. This research falls under the extended Citizen Security a Yaad Project. CAPRI invited representatives from DFID; Prof. Anthony Clayton, Alcan Professor, Institute of Sustainable Development; Prof. Anthony Harriott and Tarik Weekes from the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security; Mr. David Danelo, Senior Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime; Mr.

CAPRI Launches Study on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego Bay

Montego Bay is the birthplace and centre of the lottery scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates millions of U.S. dollars a year, and is thought to be connected to the high murder and shooting rates in St. James. CAPRI launched its study on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego Bay at a public forum on Monday, September 23, 2019 at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre. The think tank brought together His Worship Homer Davis – Mayor of Montego Bay, Mr. Dominik Riley – Country Attache’ to Jamaica from the U.S Embassy and Mr.

CAPRI Launches Study on Zero Murders: Searching for Lessons from Two Decades of Anti-Violence Interventions in August Town

Over the past two decades, a plethora of state and non-state actors, in a desire for peace, have initiated several violence-reduction/ intervention programmes in August Town. So when, in 2016, the violence-plagued community recorded “zero murders,” all of Jamaica took note. CAPRI launched its study on Zero Murders: Searching for Lessons from Two Decades of Anti-Violence Interventions in August Town on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, at the UWI Mona Visitors' Lodge. Mr. Fitz Bailey, Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; Mr.

CAPRI Meets with Government Officials from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation

CAPRI’s Director of Research, Dr. Diana Thorburn and Communications Manager, Ms. Tracy Mamoun met with officials from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) on February 26, 2019. The purpose of the meeting was to obtain status reports on the three initiatives discussed with Minister Vaz at a meeting at Jamaica House on February 13, where the Minister stated his intention to give the directive to follow through on those three policy areas.

CAPRI Explores Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego Bay

Lottery scamming as lucrative as it may seem, comes with the peril violence as any other illicit activity. In Montego Bay, murder and extreme violence are at crisis levels. The city is also the birthplace and centre of the lottery scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates millions of U.S. dollars a year, and is thought to be connected to the high murder and shooting rates in St. James.

CAPRI Examines the Year of Zero Murders in August Town

The community of August Town has been plagued by decades of extraordinarily high degrees of violence. With the exception being 2016, the “year of zero murders”. The catalyst of this drastic and positive change captivated the attention of not only the public but the media, government and non-governmental agencies.

CAPRI Explores the Economic and Societal Costs of of Sexuality Based Discrimination in JA

For a country to maximise the productivity of its workforce and the full potential of its people for economic growth and development, it must work towards reducing or eliminating discrimination against groups of people who are excluded from full participation as a result of that discrimination.

CAPRI in partnership with the European Union, with Ms. Saramaria Virri as the Researcher, is undertaking a study on the economic and societal costs of sexuality based discrimination in Jamaica.

CAPRI Hosts Review Meeting with Key Stakeholders for its Research on Scamming, Gangs and Violence in Montego Bay

On May 29, 2019, CAPRI in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) held a review meeting for its research on scamming, gangs and violence in Montego Bay. Representatives from DFID, Professor Anthony Harriott - ICJS, Mr. Mark Shields - Shields Crime & Security Consultants Limited, Mr. Dominick Riley and Mr. Bryan Anderson from the US Embassy all attended. The meeting was held at UWI Regional Headquarters in The Neal and Massy Lounge.

CAPRI Hosts Review Meeting with Key Stakeholders for its Research on the Year of Zero Murders in August Town

The Caribbean Policy Research Institute in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) brought together representatives from DFID, Inspector Michael Trail from the JCF, August Town Police Station; Professor Anthony Clayton - UWI; Professor Anthony Harriott - Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS), Mr. Damian Hutchinson - Peace Management Institute and Mr. Kevin Williams - Community Security and Justice Programme, to discuss the first draft of the report. This meeting was held on May 22, 2019, at the Knutsford Court Hotel (Windward Suite).

CAPRI Launches Study on the JCF’s Reform

With the GoJ leading the charge for a transformation of the island’s Jamaica Constabulary Force, CAPRI commissioned Professor Anthony Harriott to produce a study which is hoped may be used to stimulate an even more open conversation about the JCF Act and the type of police service that Jamaicans desire.

CAPRI Presented Its Findings On Jamaica’s Environmental Regulatory Framework

CAPRI presented the findings on Beyond PET bottles and plastic bags – Fixing Jamaica’s environmental regulatory framework at a public forum on November 28, 2018 at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in the Venetian suite.  CAPRI invited Hon. Daryl Vaz, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for the Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investments, Dr. Diana Thorburn, Director of Research, CAPRI, Mrs. Diana McCaulay, CAPRI Affiliate Researcher and Prof. Dale Webber, Principal, University of the West Indies Mona and Ms.

CAPRI Investigates Jamaica's Environmental Regulatory Framework

Quality of life is dependent on our environment. The environment’s protection is imperative, but the Jamaican government has failed to operationalize its promises of assuring commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. Subsequently, the weakness of environmental regulatory and institutional framework is the primary obstacle to good environmental stewardship.

CAPRI Launches Study On The Search Of The Most Efficient Tax

CAPRI launched its study on in search of the most efficient tax for Jamaica at a public forum on Tuesday November 13, 2018 at the Spanish Court hotel’s Worthington property. The think tank put together Mrs. Pamella Folkes, Deputy Financial Secretary, Taxation Division - Ministry of Finance and the Public Service; Mr. Hank Williams, Deputy Commissioner General, Strategic Services - Tax Administration Jamaica; and Ms. Allison Peart, Country Managing Partner and Tax Partner - Ernst & Young to join Dr.

The Economic and Societal Costs of Sexuality Based Discrimination in Jamaica

Any country which wants to
maximize the productivity of its
workforce, and to harness the full
potential of its people towards economic
growth and development, must proactively
reduce or eliminate discrimination against
groups of people who are excluded
from full participation as a result of that
discrimination. In Jamaica, where discrimination against
LGBT people is rife and amply documented,
such discrimination results in a senseless
waste of human potential, with negative
implications for the country’s economic
growth prospects. This report examines
the landscape of sexual orientation and
gender identity discrimination in Jamaica,
and how that discrimination can be
directly and indirectly tied to negative
economic and social outcomes and
thwarted developmental prospects.
The report finds that sexual orientation
and gender identity discrimination,
together with the criminalization of male
same-sex intercourse, and the absence
of comprehensive anti-discrimination
legislation, hinders Jamaica’s economic
growth and developmental prospects.

Click on the stages below to see articles related to this project

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December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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Guns Out: The Splintering of Jamaica's Violent Gangs

Gangs, organized crime, and violence, and the nexus between them, are Jamaica’s biggest citizen security challenge. With the second highest murder rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region in 2019, Jamaica’s extreme violence is often attributed to gangs. Between 2008 and 2018, gang-related violence was responsible for 56 percent of murders in Jamaica, with a high of 78 percent in 2013. Jamaica is a violent country in other ways, with extraordinarily high rates of domestic violence, including intimate partner (IPV) and gender-based violence (GBV). Jamaica’s violence problem is so pernicious that the country has come to be described by academics and policy makers as having a “culture of violence.”

Click on the stages below to see articles related to this project

STAGE 1

Inception

STAGE 2

Dissemination

STAGE 3

Deliberation

STAGE 4

Implementation

STAGE 5

Impact

Stage 1

1

December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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Stage 2

2

December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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Searching for Lessons from Two Decades of Anti-Violence Interventions in August Town

Jamaica’s extraordinarily high levels of violence undermine citizen
security and retard economic growth. Over the past two decades,
dozens of state and non-state actors, in a desire for peace, have
initiated several violence-reduction/intervention programmes in
August Town, a poor, violence-plagued community in Kingston.
So when, in 2016, the community recorded “zero murders,” all of
Jamaica took note. After decades of extraordinarily high violence,
with a homicide rate of 120 per 100,000, how did August Town
achieve this? With reference to August Town’s “zero murders” in
2016, this study explored the various theories with the objective
to distil “lessons” from August Town’s experience, particularly
as it regards anti-violence interventions, with the aim to build
knowledge on the different approaches to reducing violence in
high violence settings; and ultimately to inform GoJ decisions
regarding the direction of and investment in violence prevention
intervention programmes in violence-ridden communities.The study found that the panoply of anti-violence/violence reduction interventions was not sustained, and in the absence of consistent, quantitative programme impact evaluations, there was no way of truly knowing what effects they have had, whether positive or negative, or if they had any effect at all. Broadly speaking, there was no quantifiable evidence of any of these interventions having had any effect on the social, economic, and violence indicators for the community, which remain unchanged.

Click on the stages below to see articles related to this project

STAGE 1

Inception

STAGE 2

Dissemination

STAGE 3

Deliberation

STAGE 4

Implementation

STAGE 5

Impact

Stage 1

1

December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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Scamming, Gangs, and Violence in Montego Bay

Murder and extreme violence are at crisis levels in Montego
Bay. Montego Bay is also the birthplace and centre of the lottery
scamming industry and its offshoots, an industry that generates
millions of US dollars a year, and is thought to be connected
to the high murder and shooting rates in St. James. This study
considered the purported nexus between lottery scamming,
gangs, and the high murder rate in St. James by situating St.
James’ violence problem in its socio-economic context, and
reviewed the measures that have been taken over the past decade
to tackle both problems.
The birth and growth of scamming are a result of a confluence
of factors: enabling technology, extant criminal entrepreneurial
systems, foundations laid by decades of political violence,
high societal tolerance for criminality and violence, and an
environment of material scarcity. It has flourished because of
the poor social conditions, the inefficacy of law enforcement
and the justice system, the lack of legal income-earning
opportunities, and the large amounts of money that can be easily
“earned.” The scamming enterprise itself may be incidental to
the embeddedness of the corruption, criminality, and violence
that characterize St. James and its environs; another criminal
enterprise could supplant scamming, with similar effects, just as scamming supplanted the illegal drug trade.

Click on the stages below to see articles related to this project

STAGE 1

Inception

STAGE 2

Dissemination

STAGE 3

Deliberation

STAGE 4

Implementation

STAGE 5

Impact

Stage 1

1

December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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Stage 2

2

December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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December 31, 1969 | By Author |

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