[2] The organization is most widely known for providing legal support to hundreds of victims of state abuse in Jamaica and litigation of human rights issues before Jamaican and international tribunals.
The founders of JFJ saw strong need for a human rights action group to address the frustrations of the Jamaican people and the systemic abuse by the security forces.
Since its formation, JFJ has also developed working relationships with Amnesty International, USAID Jamaica, The Carter Center, Article 21, Street Law, CEJIL and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Since that time, JFJ has actively monitored the situation of wards of the state in children’s homes, places of safety, lock-up, remand and correctional facilities to gather data, provide reports and lobby vigorously for the protection of Jamaica’s most vulnerable citizens.
[11] JFJ was co-founded and led for over a decade by prominent activist Dr. Carolyn Gomes, who was awarded the 2008 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.