Stand up for Jamaica
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Mission Statement
Our current mandate is to enhance and maintain the human rights of all, particularly those who are from the vulnerable groupings – children, women, persons living in impoverish communities, inmates, persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, persons living with disabilities, Our mission is to empower these marginalized individuals through comprehensive rehabilitation and support services. By offering educational opportunities, vocational training, entrepreneurship resources, psychosocial counseling, and legal advocacy, we strive to dismantle stigma, foster resilience, and enable lasting personal transformation. We are dedicated to equipping individuals with the skills and confidence needed to rebuild their lives, providing pathways for them to become empowered agents of positive change within their communities.
About This Cause
Stand up for Jamaica is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2007 by a group of volunteers from Group 105 of Amnesty International Italy with the main purpose of providing practical help for Jamaicans, for the most part for court related costs and basic necessities for the inmates on death row in Jamaica’s prisons. SUFJ is actively partakes in advocacy actions in order to promote legislative and cultural changes, while working on projects in the Jamaican society to offer assistance to the most vulnerable people. SUFJ has a staff which includes teachers, doctors, trainers, behavioral psychologists and mediators. Our projects cover a range of different matters. The main project - rehabilitation in the correctional services started in 2007. There is a target population of over 4,000 inmates which includes members of the LGBTQI community. Since studies show that one out of three inmates become a re-offender, we have seen where rehabilitation is the way to use the serving time to build and become a better person. Rehabilitation activities are on three main guidelines. Education: where we provide teachers and facilitators within the correctional institutions from remedial to CSEC level. Currently, six main subject areas are taught at CSEC level: Mathematics, English Language, Accounts, Principles of Business, Human and Social Biology and Social Studies. Over the years, schooling has registered an improvement in levels of literacy. Since 2020, we were able to start a pilot project in partnership with the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean for an Associate Degree program which graduated the first batch of students in December 2021. Since then, there have been six additional batches covering three adult correctional institutions. This program includes both inmates and correctional officers. The second avenue of rehabilitation is the implementation of professional skills training in partnership with HEART Trust/NSTA and Jamaican Diaspora. This program provides inmates with a qualified skill and a certificate which can be used as the main instrument to find gainful employment after reintegration, or even starting their own business. We also provide trainers to teach entrepreneurship. This training can be used as a way to become self-employed after reintegration into society, as the stigma which is affecting ex-inmates in their attempts to acquire a job is often daunting. The third avenue of rehabilitation that we offer is psychological help to teach inmates self-awareness, how to control their emotions and how to interact without violence. We follow inmates once they finish their sentence and provide them with a social worker to respond to their needs to apply for birth certificates, ID, apply for jobs and manage their business. We have introduced in the institutions a restorative justice program as a significant way to divert from prisons those who can reconcile and to promote healing between victims and offenders where possible. This project has been expanded to all inmates, officers and probation officers. Sensitization sessions have reached all institutions. SUFJ also works with abused women, especially those victims of domestic violence providing them with legal representation, counselling, seeking shelters and offering small financial support in case of emergency. Our approach is structured around three core pillars: 1. Financial empowerment through skills training and entrepreneurship programs 2. Psycho-social counseling to support trauma recovery 3. Legal assistance for survivors of GBV or Human Rights Violations who request assistance with court matters against their abusers. We believe that a holistic approach is key to fostering sustainable change and making a real difference for women affected by GBV. Since 2023, we have been offering a skills training program which is aimed at empowering women, mainly survivors of GBV through the achievement of a professional skill in cosmetology. This is an area that is fairly easily accessible, that does not require technical educational savvy and can be taught is as little as six months. The program includes training in hair braiding and weaving and make-up artistry. The participants would need limited funds to start their own businesses upon completion as these are services that can be offered from the comfort of their homes or that of the customer. Entrepreneurship training which covers business management, preparing financial documents, soft skills training in customer service, website and business card design are areas that are included in the training to name a few. The participants are assessed by HEART Trust NSTA upon completion of training and once successful, they are awarded with a competency certificate. As we recognize that GBV is mainly an issue where males are the main perpetrators, our project also includes sensitization training for males of high school age, as well as first responders such as the police, health centre and the wider community. We have had several skills training projects with survivors of GBV which promote financial independence. We have requested legislative changes on violence against women and the establishment of shelters. Since 2023, a GBV project aimed to empower women through the achievement of a professional skill, certification and classes on entrepreneurship has been implemented in Kingston but also in rural areas such as Portland and St. Thomas where traditionally projects are not often implemented. The first two batches have achieved HEART NSTA Trust certification. This project also reaches 400 males in high schools, sensitizing them on GBV and promoting dialogue, changes and relationship based on mutual respect. We also work with juveniles and lobby for legislative changes to divert from imprisonment those that are traumatized and violated and offer them the possibility to remain in their families and communities with a network supporting them. SUFJ has advocated since 2017 for the abolition of Section 24 in the National Children Act which states that 'uncontrollable children' can be detained. Those juveniles did not commit any crimes, and their behavior signals a trauma, family challenges and lack of parenting. Therefore, instead of being punished, they should receive care. The Act has been finally modified thanks to our robust efforts in partnership with other NGO’s. A campaign is ongoing against mandatory minimum sentence for incarcerated juveniles. SUFJ advocates robustly on mental illness, especially towards over 240 mentally ill detained for over 30 years or more without being brought to trial. Since they are considered as unfit to plead, they cannot be brought in front of a court. Their situation is below any minimum standard of humanity, and we are requiring for mentally ill not to be detained. We have a team of four among the best Jamaican attorneys working pro-bono on such matters and on justice system. SUFJ has able to free some of them, but we advocate for drastic policy changes. Those showing a mild illness can remain in their communities, but instruments need to be set in place not to leave families alone. A network made up of probation officers, health department and social workers can produce excellent outcomes. For those mentally ill inmates which may be dangerous should be institutionalized in institutions set up for offer mental care. We are partnering with Ministry of Health to implement those new policies and to start a robust prevention campaign. In 2024 such campaign has been increased and SUFJ will call a press conference in January 2025 to present a comprehensive policy proposal with support of civil society agencies. A pilot project which started in May 2024 is currently ongoing at the Port Antonio Rehabilitation Management Centre Shelter to show that a different avenue is viable. Another area of commitment is dedicated to LGBTQI community. In Jamaica, the buggery law is still in effect, while a rooted culture of hate and discrimination condemns these individuals, depriving them of their rights and having them live in fear. SUFJ is campaigning for the abolition of any legislative discrimination and in building a cultural change promoting tolerance and mutual respect. We organize workshops for LGBTQI members and for transgender persons to provide them with information on their rights, health support and advice about where to go in case of abuses. Jamaican police force has been often under scrutiny for its aggressive behavior and for abuses. SUFJ has held sensitization sessions on human rights principles to police officers who are seen as first responders. We hope to form a specific permanent task force dealing with gender-based violence, children, LGBTQI, and vulnerable people. SUFJ also partners with governmental agencies and with civil society groups to promote changes in our society. We are a part of the Bureau of Standard Committee to draft international standards for Correctional Services. It is a relevant step towards transparency and towards reducing the practice to tolerate unprofessional behavior, abuses, rights infringement and corruption. Our activities have been financially supported by the European Union, Caribbean Vulnerable Community, Canadian High Commission, AFJ, the German Embassy and Sandals Foundation among other groups, and because funds remain a vital matter to promote a consistent work and to make sustainable plans, we will still seek funding to continue our work.