VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0415/01 0591835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281835Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2339

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND INL/LP (BOZZOLO) 
STATE ALSO FOR G/TIP (ETERNO) 
STATE ALSO FOR WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB JM
SUBJECT: THE SIXTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) 
REPORT - JAMAICA 
 
Ref: SECSTATE 03836 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
This message is in response to Reftel request for annual 
reporting on trafficking in persons in Jamaica.  Below are 
posts responses to questions 21-24. 
 
¶21.  Overview of a country's activities to eliminate 
trafficking in persons: 
 
-- A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, or 
destination for international trafficked men, women, or 
children?  Specify numbers for each group; how they were 
trafficked, to where, and for what purpose.  Does the 
trafficking occur within the country's borders?  Does it 
occur in territory outside of the government's control (e.g. 
in a civil war situation)?  Are any estimates or reliable 
numbers available as to the extent or magnitude of the 
problem?  Please include any numbers of victims. What is 
(are) the source(s) of available information on trafficking 
in persons or what plans are in place (if any) to undertake 
documentation of trafficking? How reliable are the numbers 
and these sources?  Are certain groups of persons more at 
risk of being trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys 
versus girls, certain ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)? 
 
Jamaica is suspected to be a country of internal trafficking 
of children for sexual exploitation.  The ILO estimated in 
2001 that several hundred minors, both boys and girls, are 
involved in Jamaica's sex trade, and that child pornography 
involving trafficking victims is a concern on the island. 
Victims of internal trafficking travel from rural areas to 
urban and tourist centers, where they are thought to be 
trafficked into prostitution.  Jamaica is also a transit 
country for illegal migrants moving to the U.S. and Canada, 
some of whom are believed to be trafficking victims. 
 
In addition, Jamaica is a destination for some foreign women 
working in local strip clubs.  Groups of women from the 
Dominican Republic, Eastern Europe and Haiti, travel to 
Jamaica to work in strip clubs.  Based on information we 
received from the Dominican Embassy to Jamaica, at least two 
Dominican Women who came to Jamaica in 2005 were trafficking 
victims. 
 
Currently, the anti-TIP unit within the Jamaica Constabulary 
Force (JCF) is charged with collecting data on trafficking 
victims.  However, other than the ILO estimate from 2001, 
there are no comprehensive figures on the number of 
trafficking victims here in Jamaica.  In an effort to obtain 
more comprehensive data on trafficking, on February 12, 
2006, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) issued a request for 
proposals in the Jamaica Gleaner to "provide (1) a 
comprehensive assessment of the scope of sexual exploitation 
and trafficking in persons and (2) recommendations for how 
to mainstream data gathering." 
 
-- B. Please provide a general overview of the trafficking 
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP 
Report (e.g. changes in direction).  Also briefly explain 
the political will to address trafficking in persons. Other 
items to address may include:  What kind of conditions are 
the victims trafficked into?  Which populations are targeted 
by the traffickers?  Who are the traffickers?  What methods 
are used to approach victims? (Are they offered lucrative 
jobs, sold by their families, approached by friends of 
friends, etc.?)  What methods are used to move the victims 
(e.g., are false documents being used?). 
 
The problem does not appear to have been exacerbated in the 
past year.  Since the last annual TIP report, the GOJ 
launched a yearlong education and awareness campaign.  On 
August 9, 2005, the government's TIP task force presented 
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson with posters and bumper 
stickers to be used in the yearlong awareness and education 
campaign.  Patterson used the opportunity to state that he 
had established a team within the Cabinet Office to ensure 
that trafficking would be eliminated from Jamaica. 
 
On August 30, 2005, Minister of National Security Peter 
Phillips spoke at the launch of the yearlong campaign and 
stated that Jamaica should be at the forefront in the fight 
against trafficking.  However, since the launch of the 
campaign in August no other significant public awareness 
events or activities have taken place.  According to the 
government, several public events similar to the one that 
took place in August have been scheduled, but due to the 
 
elections on February 25, they were postponed.  (Note: The 
ruling People's National Party (PNP) held internal elections 
for party leader to succeed Prime Minister P.J. Patterson on 
February 25.  Minister for Local Government, Community and 
Sport Portia Simpson Miller was the winner.  End note.) 
Educational posters have been hung in government buildings, 
including police stations throughout the island.  The TIP 
task force also plans to have the posters hung in various 
strip clubs to target potential trafficking victims. 
 
In 2005, at least four night clubs were closed down and 
fifteen more raided where trafficking activities were 
suspected to have occurred.  Owners of the clubs were 
arrested in two of these cases.  One of the owners was 
charged with operating beyond closing hours and the other 
was charged with operating a brothel, employing a child in 
prostitution and living off the earnings of prostitution. 
 
The True Fantasy Night Club was one of the clubs raided in 
2005 for suspected trafficking activities.  Several days 
after the club was raided, the Ministry of Labor issued work 
permits to 19 Dominicans authorizing them to work in the 
club as dancers and "coordinators."  The TIP task force 
investigated the issuance of visas to the Dominican women 
and stated that the visas and work permits had been issued 
legally.  Since that time, however, the government has 
suspended the issuance of visas to exotic dancers and the 
Ministry of Labor must now send a list of applicants for 
work permits to the JCF's anti-TIP unit for pre-screening 
for potential trafficking. 
 
Two previously identified assembly points for sourcing 
Jamaican "exotic dancers", namely, the markets in Culloden 
and Safari, were disrupted through police intervention and 
remain dormant.  No other assembly points have been 
identified. 
 
-- C.  What are the limitations on the government's ability 
to address this problem in practice?  For example, is 
funding for police or other institutions inadequate?  Is 
overall corruption a problem?  Does the government lack the 
resources to aid victims? 
 
Corruption is a serious problem in Jamaica at all levels of 
government, and the JCF is not generally effective in law 
enforcement.  Given the low level of education surrounding 
the issue, a lack of awareness may be as likely as 
corruption to cause local authorities to be complicit in or 
to condone trafficking activities.  To address this, members 
of the JCF are being trained on the rights of the child as 
provided for in the Child Care and Protection Act (2004), 
and immigration officials now have the use of a passenger 
entry and exit system to enhance efforts to detect 
transnational trafficking. 
 
The government is hampered in its efforts to combat 
trafficking by insufficient resources and competing 
priorities.  Staffing and funding are inadequate for the 
police force and the judiciary, and corruption is 
widespread.  Violent crime is at its highest rate in the 
country's history.  Human rights groups identified 
systematically poor investigative procedures and weak 
oversight mechanisms within the police force.  The 
government also lacks resources to aid victims.  As a result 
of limited funding there are no government shelters for 
domestic violence victims or adult trafficking victims. 
Child trafficking victims determined to be in need of care 
are eligible to be housed at government-run "places of 
safety". 
 
-- D. To what extent does the government systematically 
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- 
prosecution, prevention and victim protection) and 
periodically make available, publicly or privately and 
directly or through regional/international organizations, 
its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
The TIP task force monitors its anti-trafficking efforts on 
a monthly basis.  The TIP task force has stated that it 
plans to prepare a report on its efforts that would be made 
available to the public and international organizations if 
requested.  The government exchanges information with 
persons in various embassies and high commissions. 
 
¶22. PREVENTION: 
 
-- A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a 
problem in that country?  If no, why not? 
 
Yes.  In 2005, the Prime Minister and Minister of National 
Security both stated publicly that trafficking is a problem 
that the government must work to combat. 
 
-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti- 
trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead? 
 
The government has established a TIP task force made up of 
persons from a variety of ministries, including persons from 
the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Prime Minister's Cabinet 
Office, and the Planning Institute of Jamaica.  This task 
force has the lead on TIP issues. 
 
-- C. Are there, or have there been, government-run anti- 
trafficking information or education campaigns?  If so, 
briefly describe the campaign(s), including their objectives 
and effectiveness.  Do these campaigns target potential 
trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g. 
"clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor). 
 
See 21 (B). 
 
-- D. Does the government support other programs to prevent 
trafficking? (e.g., to promote women's participation in 
economic decision-making or efforts to keep children in 
school.)  Please explain. 
 
Yes.  The government has a social policy goal of 100 percent 
school attendance by school-aged children.  In an effort to 
achieve this goal, the government has a Program for 
Advancement Through Heath and Education which provides 
subsidies to certain households as long as the children 
maintain an 85% attendance rate. 
 
-- F. What is the relationship between government officials, 
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of 
civil society on the trafficking issue? 
 
The TIP task force meets monthly with NGOs such as Women's 
Inc., the Association of Women's Organizations of Jamaica 
and Jamaican Youth for Christ to discuss anti-trafficking 
efforts. 
 
-- G. Does it monitor immigration and emigration patterns 
for evidence of trafficking?  Do law enforcement agencies 
screen for potential trafficking victims along borders? 
 
Immigration and law enforcement officers at the country's 
two international airports have been sensitized and trained 
to identify potential trafficking victims.  According to the 
government, their intelligence community has been 
specifically tasked to identify any potential traffickers. 
 
Joint awareness workshops have been conducted among agencies 
such as Immigration, the Organized Crime Investigation 
Division of the JCF and members of the JCF's anti-TIP unit 
with representatives from various Embassies and High 
Commissions.  The Immigration Department and representatives 
of the Ministry of Labor were sensitized to trafficking so 
they are aware of potential trafficking when issuing work 
permits and visas. 
 
-- H. Is there a mechanism for coordination and 
communication between various agencies, internal, 
international, and multilateral on trafficking- related 
matters, such as a multi- agency working group or a task 
force?  Does the government have a trafficking in persons 
working group or single point of contact?  Does the 
government have a public corruption task force? 
 
The government's TIP task force is charged with coordinating 
and communicating with various agencies.  The government has 
a Corruption Prevention Commission charged with ensuring 
that any civil employees that are required to file a 
financial disclosure statement, do so. 
 
-- J. Does the government have a national plan of action to 
address trafficking in persons?  If so, which agencies were 
involved in developing it?  Were NGOs consulted in the 
process?  What steps has the government taken to disseminate 
the action plan? 
 
The government has stated that it has a national plan and 
that the following steps have been taken to reach the goals 
outlined in the plan: 
-- A Children's Advocate has been appointed and the Child 
Advocate's office that was established under the Child Care 
and Protection Act is being staffed; 
 
-- A children's registry to be maintained by the Child 
Development Agency for the reporting of abuses against 
children has been drafted and is being circulated for 
consultation; 
-- Consultants have been invited to undertake a study of the 
scope of trafficking, to provide training for front-line 
workers and for developing material for training; 
-- The government, in conjunction with the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), will conduct another round 
of training to be undertaken with government officials and 
other professionals; 
-- The review of the work permit system is in progress by a 
Work Permit Advisory Committee; 
-- The JCF's anti-TIP unit is represented on the Work Permit 
advisory Committee; 
-- The Ministry of Labor has increased the number of 
investigators for work permits; 
-- Work permits to exotic dancers have been suspended; 
-- The Ministry of Labor must now send the list of proposed 
applicants for work permits to the JFC's anti-TIP unit for 
screening for potential trafficking; 
-- Recruitment agencies are being monitored and illegal 
operators are being prosecuted; 
-- The Child Labor Unit is implementing the National Plan of 
Action for addressing children in labor; 
-- A public forum similar to the one held in August 2005 is 
scheduled to be held in Montego Bay in March 2006. 
 
 
¶23. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
 
For questions A-D, posts should highlight in particular 
whether or not the country has enacted any new legislation 
since the last TIP report. 
 
-- A. Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting 
trafficking in persons--both trafficking for sexual 
exploitation and trafficking for non-sexual purposes (e.g. 
forced labor)? If so, what is the law?  Does the law(s) 
cover both internal and external (transnational) forms of 
trafficking? If not, under what other laws can traffickers 
be prosecuted?  For example, are there laws against slavery 
or the exploitation of prostitution by means of coercion or 
fraud?  Are these other laws being used in trafficking 
cases?  Are these laws, taken together, adequate to cover 
the full scope of trafficking in persons?  Please provide a 
full inventory of trafficking laws, including civil 
penalties, (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws against 
illegal debt). 
 
The Child Care and Protection Act of 2004 specifically 
states that "[n]o person shall sell or participate in the 
trafficking of any child."  A child, in this case, is 
defined as anyone under the age of 18.  However, the country 
does not have a specific law against trafficking of adults. 
The Chief Parliamentary Council is drafting instructions for 
new trafficking legislation designed to protect adults from 
trafficking.  Once the Chief Parliamentary Council has 
completed this process, it will submit its proposal to 
Parliament to be passed into law. 
 
Other laws that can be used in the prosecution of 
traffickers include the Offences Against the Person Act. 
This law criminalizes the abduction of a woman of any age 
"to engage in sexual acts.or cause her to have sex with 
someone else."  It further prohibits transnational movement 
of women for purposes of prostitution, detention of a woman 
or girl against her will for prostitution, knowingly living 
from the earnings of prostitution, and managing a brothel. 
The maximum sentence for living off the earnings of 
prostitution is two years, and for the other offences the 
maximum sentence is three years.  Section 70 of this Act 
also specifically prohibits kidnapping a person to "cause 
[that person] to be unlawfully sent or transported out of 
Jamaica against [their] will," or "to hold [that person] for 
service" against their will.  The maximum sentence under 
section 70 is life imprisonment. 
 
Under the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens 
(Employment) Act, foreign citizens must have a valid work 
permit in order to be employed, or face a fine of USD 200 or 
six months imprisonment, or both.  This work permit must be 
shown on demand to responsible authorities, such as 
immigration officials or police officers.  Failure to do so 
carries a fine of USD 50 or three months imprisonment.  The 
GOJ can also potentially prosecute traffickers under the 
Recruiting of Workers Act, which requires that a person have 
a license in order to recruit workers, and prohibits the 
recruitment of persons under the age of eighteen (Children 
 
aged sixteen to eighteen may engage in "light work" with the 
consent of their parents, although the act does not specify 
what constitutes "light.") 
 
Jamaica has no civil forfeiture laws. 
 
-- B. What are the penalties for traffickers of people for 
sexual exploitation?  For traffickers of people for labor 
exploitation? 
 
Under the Child Care and Protection Act the penalty for 
selling or trafficking a child for any reason is a fine 
and/or a maximum imprisonment of 10 years with hard labor. 
 
-- C. What are the penalties for rape or forcible sexual 
assault?  How do they compare to the penalty for sex 
trafficking? 
 
Rape, including spousal rape, is illegal and carries a 
penalty of up to 25 years' imprisonment with hard labor. 
There is currently no law against trafficking an adult for 
sexual exploitation. 
 
-- D. Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized? 
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute 
criminalized?  Are the activities of the brothel 
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized? 
Are these laws enforced? If prostitution is legal and 
regulated, what is the legal minimum age for this activity? 
Note that in many countries with federalist systems, 
prostitution laws may be covered by state, local, and 
provincial authorities. 
 
Prostitution is illegal.  It is also illegal to own/operate 
a brothel. 
 
-- E. Has the Government prosecuted any cases against 
traffickers?  If so, provide numbers of investigations, 
prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, including details 
on plea bargains and fines, if relevant and available.  Are 
the traffickers serving the time sentenced:  If no, why not? 
Please indicate whether the government can provide this 
information, and if not, why not? (Note:  complete answers 
to this section are essential. End Note) 
 
The government has charged the owner and operator of 
"Compliments" Night Club and Massage Parlor with operating a 
brothel, employing a child in prostitution and living off 
the earnings of prostitution.  The case is scheduled to go 
to trial on March 24, 2006. 
 
The owner of "Players" Night Club was convicted and fined 
for operating beyond closing hours, which is a breach of the 
Spirit License Act.  The owner has paid the fine.  The 
government stated that there are currently six other cases 
under investigation for potential trafficking-related 
offences. 
 
-- F. Is there any information or reports of who is behind 
the trafficking?  For example, are the traffickers freelance 
operators, small crime groups, and/or large international 
organized crime syndicates?  Are employment, travel, and 
tourism agencies or marriage brokers fronting for 
traffickers or crime groups to trafficked individuals? Are 
government officials involved?  Are there any reports of 
where profits from trafficking in persons are being 
channeled?  (e.g. armed groups, terrorist organizations, 
judges, banks, etc.) 
 
There are no reports on who is behind trafficking. 
Traffickers are suspected to be club operators and 
"businessmen" working in tandem with individuals in source 
countries to traffic females to be exotic dancers and sex 
trade workers.  There is no information regarding where 
profits are being channeled. 
 
-- G. Does the government actively investigate cases of 
trafficking?  (Again, the focus should be on trafficking 
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.) Does the government 
use active investigative techniques in trafficking in 
persons investigations? To the extent possible under 
domestic law, are techniques such as electronic 
surveillance, undercover operations, and mitigated 
punishment or immunity for cooperating suspects used by the 
government?  Does the criminal procedure code or other laws 
prohibit the police from engaging in covert operations? 
 
Techniques such as electronic surveillance and undercover 
operations are used in investigating cases of trafficking. 
 
The Director of Public Prosecutions can utilize the 
provisions of the Plea-Bargaining/Pleas Legislation Act to 
reduce punishment for cooperating suspects. 
 
-- H. Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in how to recognize, investigate, 
and prosecute instances of trafficking? 
 
The IOM, in conjunction with the government, has conducted 
training of police officers, immigration officers and other 
government employees to teach them skills to recognize and 
investigate trafficking.  New JCF recruits receive 
trafficking sensitization training as part of their initial 
training. 
 
According to the GOJ, the Director of Public Prosecutions 
has not received any requests for assistance or cooperation 
related to trafficking. 
 
--I. Does the government cooperate with other governments in 
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases?  If 
possible, can post provide the number of cooperative 
international investigations on trafficking? 
 
The government conducted joint investigations with the 
authorities from the Canadian High Commission and 
authorities from Hong Kong involving a case of potential 
trafficking or alien smuggling of individuals from Hong Kong 
to Jamaica on their way to Canada.  The individuals were 
returned to Hong Kong. 
 
-- J. Does the government extradite persons who are charged 
with trafficking in other countries?  If so, can post 
provide the number of traffickers extradited?  Does the 
government extradite its own nationals charged with such 
offenses?   If not, is the government prohibited by law form 
extraditing its own nationals?  If so, what is the 
government doing to modify its laws to permit the 
extradition of its own nationals? 
 
No.  The government has not received any extradition 
requests for persons charged with trafficking.  Jamaica 
maintains an extradition agreement with the United States. 
The government generally extradites its own nationals and 
nationals of other countries. 
 
-- K. Is there evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? 
If so, please explain in detail. 
 
There is some concern that corrupt immigration officials may 
facilitate the unauthorized international movement of 
people.  Post has no concrete evidence of this.  The new 
entry/exit system installed at both international airports 
should help address this problem. 
 
-- L. If government officials are involved in trafficking, 
what steps has the government taken to end such 
participation?  Have any government officials been 
prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking- 
related corruption? Have any been convicted?  What actual 
sentence was imposed?  Please provide specific numbers, if 
available. 
 
No government officials have been arrested for involvement 
in trafficking. 
 
-- M. If the country has an identified child sex tourism 
problem (as source or destination), how many foreign 
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or deported/ 
extradited to their country of origin? Does the country's 
child sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial coverage (like 
the U.S. PROTECT Act)? 
 
The Government has not prosecuted any foreigners for any 
sexual relations/contact with a minor.  No foreign 
pedophiles have been prosecuted, deported or extradited. 
The Child Care and Protection Act and the Offences Against 
Persons Act cannot be applied extraterritorially.  The child 
sexual abuse laws can be applied extraterritorially in 
certain situations. 
 
-- N. Has the government signed, ratified, and/or taken 
steps to implement the following international instruments? 
Please provide the date of signature/ratification if 
appropriate. 
 
        --ILO Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and 
immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of 
 
child labor. 
 
Ratified 13 October 2003 
 
        --ILO Convention 29 and 105 on forced or compulsory 
labor. 
 
Ratified 26 December 1962 
 
        --The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the 
Rights of the Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child 
prostitution, and child pornography. 
 
Signed 8 September 2000, not yet ratified. 
 
        --The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish 
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, 
supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational 
Organized Crime. 
 
Signed 13 February 2002, not yet ratified. 
 
¶24. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
 
-- A. Does the government assist victims, for example, by 
providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief 
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and 
psychological services?  If so, please explain.  Does the 
country have victim care and victim health care facilities? 
If so, can post provide the number of victims placed in 
these care facilities? 
 
The Ministry of National Security's Victim Support Unit 
provides assistance to victims of crimes by providing 
counseling, medical, psychological services and legal 
advice.  There is no government shelter for adult victims of 
trafficking; however, the JCF reports that the demand for 
shelters is not high and they have only utilized temporary 
shelters at hotels on three occasions.  Child victims of 
trafficking may be placed in one of the "places of safety" 
operated by the Child Development Agency. 
 
The TIP task force is recommending expanding the services 
offered to victims to make those services consistent with 
the scope of protection recommended under the Protocol to 
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.  The 
TIP task force has recommended that the expanded services 
include employment, educational and training opportunities, 
and the possibility of allowing temporary or permanent 
residence. 
 
-- B. Does the government provide funding or other forms of 
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims? 
Please explain. 
 
No. 
 
-- C.  Is there a screening and referral process in place, 
when appropriate, to transfer victims detained, arrested or 
placed in protective custody by law enforcement authorities 
to NGO's that provide 
short- or long-term care? 
 
The Victim Support Unit provides care to victims of crimes. 
The services include counseling, court support, 
psychological assessment and re-connecting with their 
families.  In some cases a victim may be referred to the 
shelter operated by the NGO Women's Inc. for short term 
care.  No trafficking victims have yet been referred to 
Women's Inc. and since Women's Inc. has some hesitation in 
accepting trafficking victims due to security issues, it is 
not clear whether the shelter would accept a trafficking 
victim.  Minors may be referred to the "places of safety". 
The Glenhope Place of Safety has been recently refurbished 
and its capacity expanded from 50 to 80 persons.   (Is there 
a formal referral system in place?) 
 
-- D. Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims 
also treated as criminals?  Are victims detained, jailed, or 
deported?   If detained or jailed, for how long?  Are 
victims fined?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of 
other laws, such as those governing immigration or 
prostitution? 
 
Potential trafficking victims have been arrested, charged 
and convicted of various offences, including: indecent 
exposure; being found on club premises during closing hours; 
breaches of the Sprit License Act; immigration violations; 
employment without a valid work permit; loitering; forgery; 
 
and holding a forged passport.  The persons convicted have 
been ordered to pay fines but have not been ordered to serve 
jail time.  Some of the persons convicted have been 
deported. 
 
-- E. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  May victims 
file civil suits or seek legal action against the 
traffickers?  Does anyone impede the victims' access to such 
legal redress? If a victim is a material witness in a court 
case against the former employer, is the victim permitted to 
obtain other employment or to leave the country? Is there a 
victim restitution program? 
 
Victims of criminal offences can file civil suit for damages 
to the extent that there is an equivalent tort.  There have 
been no court cases where a victim has testified against the 
former employer, so it is unclear whether a victim would be 
allowed to obtain other employment or leave the country. 
There is no victim restitution program. 
 
-- F. What kind of protection is the government able to 
provide for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide these 
protections in practice?  What type of shelter or services 
does the government provide? Does it provide shelter or any 
other benefits to victims for housing or other resources in 
order to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? Where 
are child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, foster-care type 
systems or juvenile justice detention centers)? 
 
The government operates a witness protection program. With 
respect to the provision of shelters and victims support 
services see 24 (A). 
 
-- G. Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in recognizing trafficking and in 
the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including 
the special needs of trafficked children?  Does the 
government provide training on protections and assistance to 
its embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are 
destination or transit countries?  Does it urge those 
embassies and consulates to develop ongoing relationships 
with NGOs that serve trafficked victims? 
 
In conjunction with the IOM, sensitization sessions have 
been held for government officials.  Sensitization sessions 
are also being held with Jamaican Embassy staff.  A "train- 
the-trainers" program that will be run in conjunction with 
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will provide 
further training to staff in Jamaican Embassies and 
Consulates worldwide.  No protocol has been developed for 
relationships for NGOs that serve trafficking victims. 
 
-- H. Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated 
nationals who are victims of trafficking? 
 
There have been no cases of repatriated nationals who are 
victims of trafficking. 
 
-- I. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, 
work with trafficking victims?  What type of services do 
they provide?  What sort of cooperation do they receive from 
local authorities? 
 
Women's Inc. has a shelter for domestic violence victims 
that may be used by trafficking victims, but as mentioned 
above, security concerns have meant that no trafficked 
individuals have yet been sheltered at this location.  While 
lack of political will is not an issue, GOJ consistently 
faces budgetary constraints that hamper training efforts and 
additional enforcement. 
 
TIGHE