Page 96 - Violence Prevention Through the Engagement of Violence Producers

In order to address the high levels of social violence in Jamaica the Cure Violence model was

adapted to create the Violence Interruption Programme, which is managed by PMI with
financial and case management support from CSJP. The project is guided philosophically

by a theory of change that centres on VIs targeting the highest risk youth, directing them to
CSJP’s case management to result individual and community resilience. The VIP is hinged

on the assumption that the Cure Violence model is culturally transferrable to Jamaica. The
overall objective of VIP is to contribute to the reduction of conflict and promote sustained

peace in communities affected by violence. This is broken down into: (1) identifying and
detecting potential shooting events; (2) identifying and detecting individuals and groups

at the highest risk of involvement of shooting or killing; (3) interrupting potential violence
by mediating conflicts and preventing retaliation; (4) changing behaviours and norms

of those at highest risk of involvement in shooting or killing; and (5) using data to inform
daily efforts and make necessary changes to interruption strategies. The evaluation seeks

to understand the contribution of the VIP to reducing violence in the short, medium and
long run; as well as to assess the effectiveness of the processes used in implementing the

programme; and to make recommendations for its amendment.

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