BASSETERRE: The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs is today conducting specialised training for approximately 60 police officers on the digital framework and database that will support the proposed Diversionary Caution System.
The training is being held at the Information and Communications Technology Centre and forms part of the wider institutional preparation required for the effective implementation of the new framework.
The digital system is intended to support the accurate recording, management and monitoring of diversionary cautions from the point of initiation through to completion, variation, breach or revocation. It will provide authorised personnel with a structured mechanism for recording relevant case information, caution conditions, referrals, compliance updates and outcomes.
The training focuses on the practical use of the database, including the entry and verification of information, user responsibilities, record accuracy, confidentiality, access controls, case tracking and the generation of information required for supervision, oversight and institutional reporting.
The digital framework is a critical component of the proposed Diversionary Caution System. A lawful and credible cautioning process requires more than the issuance of a caution. It requires reliable records, clear accountability for decisions, effective monitoring of conditions and the ability to identify prior cautions, breaches and case outcomes.
The database will also support greater consistency in decision making by ensuring that relevant information is recorded in a standardised manner and is available to authorised officers in accordance with the applicable legal and procedural safeguards.
Particular attention is being given to data protection and confidentiality. Access to caution records must be limited to duly authorised personnel and the information must be managed in accordance with the legal framework governing disclosure, retention, expungement and institutional oversight.
The training also examines how the digital system will support referrals to programmes and service providers. Where counselling, rehabilitation, restorative intervention, education, community service or another approved condition is imposed, the system must be capable of recording the referral, monitoring participation and documenting whether the condition has been completed.
This function will operate alongside the national Directory of Approved Programmes and Service Providers, which is being developed to assist authorised officers and justice sector institutions in identifying appropriate services capable of supporting caution conditions.
The Honourable Attorney General Garth Wilkin noted that the digital framework is essential to ensuring that the Diversionary Caution System operates as a formal, accountable and properly supervised justice process.
The training follows the four day Diversionary Caution System programme conducted from 13 to 16 July 2026 for police officers, members of the Judiciary, prosecutors, legal practitioners, court personnel, social service agencies, rehabilitation providers and other justice sector stakeholders.
Together, the legal, operational and digital training programmes are intended to ensure that the institutions responsible for implementing the system are equipped with the knowledge, procedures and tools required to administer it effectively.
The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs remains committed to establishing a Diversionary Caution System that is lawful, secure, transparent and effective in practice, and that supports proportionate accountability, earlier intervention and stronger public confidence in the administration of justice.