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~ To merge with Court of Guardianship ~

BELAIR--Foundation Judiciary Institutes Windward Islands SJIB celebrated its tenth anniversary at the Belair Community Centre on Friday, December 5.

The organisation is now known as Foundation Judiciary Institutes St. Maarten SJIS. The name change had been in the cards for some time, as the organisation no longer had been responsible for Saba and St. Eustatius since the constitutional change on 10-10-10.

How long this name will remain is uncertain, as Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson announced during the celebration that the Council of Ministers had approved a merger of SJIS and the Court of Guardianship

The organisation also introduced a new jingle advocating employers making positions available for people who have been in trouble with the law, and an infomercial to highlight the need for foster parents on the island.

SJIS also announced that its new Website

www.sjis-sxm.com would be available soon. The foundation also produced a leaflet with information.

SJIS is responsible for the rehabilitation of people who have been in trouble with the law and for protective care of minors in accordance with the Civil Code of St. Maarten.

The foundation became operational in 2004 and started operating from St. Maarten for all three islands. As a result of constitutional changes in the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10-10-10 SJIB was no longer responsible for Saba and St. Eustatius, which have fallen under Dutch governance as extraordinary municipalities of the Netherlands since that date.

The foundation of what is now SJIS was laid with the National Decree Rehabilitation 1953. Before that time, there were very few facilities for those who had been in trouble with the law. Jaime Saleh created the Foundation Rehabilitation Windward Islands in 1983, which changed to the Foundation Rehabilitation St. Maarten in 1990. The organisation employed a rehabilitation officer who was joined by a social worker in 1998.

The Foundation Family Guardianship Institutions Windward Islands was founded in 1999 and a Family Guardian was appointed. A letter of intent signed with the Family Guardian Institutions Windward Islands was recalled in 2001 and the Family Guardianship Institutions continued as Court of Guardianship St. Maarten.

The Minister of Justice at that time gave civil servant Sidney Sorton the task of setting up a new foundation, the Foundation Judiciary Institutions Windward Islands SJIB. This was the organisation we know today, which will now be known as SJIS.

SJIS is a non-governmental organisation whose core tasks are subsidised by the Ministry of Justice. SJIS works project-based. Projects which fall outside of core tasks are funded by other parties such as USONA (until 2014), AMFO and Cooperative Funds.

The foundation consists of two departments: Rehabilitation and Family Guardianship. Both these tasks fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, which has delegated those tasks to the SJIS. The relationship between the Ministry of Justice and SJIS is formalised through care contracts and memoranda of understanding.

Meredith Concincion was Master of Ceremonies at the 10th anniversary celebration and introduced a number of speakers who took the stage to comment on the organisation's progress and achievements.

The event was opened with a prayer by retired Judge Wilfred Manning, who also had said prayers at the birth of the organisation 10 years ago. Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson wished the foundation a happy birthday and said 1,100 people had been rehabilitated and 600 children had been helped. "A tremendous achievement," said Richardson.

Board member Joy Arnell then explained SJIS' work and history as she reflected on the changes the foundation had undergone and its achievements.

The stage was then taken by Gerard van Veen, the first rehabilitation officer on the island, who joined the organisation in 1983. He gave a touching insight into both the successes and failures he had come across, and showed emotion over those he had not been able to help. He found an appropriate balance between humour and emotion in a speech that was perceived as inspiring by the guests.

The stage was then taken by SJIB managers Cynthia van Samson-Filemon and Roland Richardson. Director Gregory Thompson, for whom Van Samson has been acting, could not make the ceremony due to health reasons. Van Samson also reflected on SJIB's difficult beginning, when budget had been so short that people sometimes were not paid. She gave thanks to partners, stakeholders and, above all, the staff. She and Richardson then called forward all staff and presented them with flowers.

Richardson then highlighted the plight of children in foster homes and requested that people remember those children over Christmas.

Van Samson then spoke of the need for foster parents on the island.

A large cake was then cut by long-serving SJIB staff members Meredith Concincion and Stella Pantophlet, after which a toast was made by Dennis Richardson and Court of Guardianship Director Richelda Emmanuel.

After the formal part of the celebrations there was an opportunity for invited guests, including partner organisations and Justice System representatives, to engage in socialising whilst having a bite to eat, a drink and enjoying the music of Control Band in a tastefully decorated Belair Community Centre, which looked like a fairytale ballroom designed by LBB event planners.