Bonaire:--- The Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson paid a courtesy visit to Fundashon Krusada (Krusada Foundation) during her working visit to Bonaire which began on Monday, June 27, 2022, with the first Justice Tripartite meeting between the Caribbean countries of the Dutch Kingdom; Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten. The Krusada Foundation provides guidance to former substance abusers, former inmates, and at-risk youth. The foundation carries out projects for former inmates with a resocialization purpose and a halfway program aiding them in their transition from prison back into society. The Director of the Krusada Foundation, Mr. Junny Josephina has been leading the program for the past 6 years however, the program has been in existence for more than 20 years.
The layout of the foundation’s halfway housing is a neighborhood concept. The setting and environment allow clients the opportunity to work towards healthy socialization and independent living in the near future. The foundation provides a workshop where goods such as furniture are built by inmates of the prison of Bonaire, as well as other clients of the program. There is also a greenhouse where plants and vegetables are grown. The products of these two work programs are sold to the community. This commercial aspect to the work program creates a stable extra source of income for the clients and the foundation.
Director Josephina is quite passionate about this program and the positive support it gives to persons who have served time, and need the skills and support to transition back into society. In support of Minister Richardson’s pursuit to establish and offer inmates of the Point Blanche Prison and the Miss Lalie Youth Correctional Centre the same support, Director Josephina is planning a trip to St. Maarten within short to explore possible locations and assist in the development of programs that will allow for a pilot program to be launched at the soonest.
Minister Richardson stated, “I’d like to thank Mr. Josephina and the Krusada Foundation team for sharing the positive work the foundation carries out and for being open to the possibility of establishing such an entity that would aid in the strengthening of St. Maarten’s Justice and Social sectors. There are grant opportunities for programs such as these, and as Minister of Justice, I intend to explore funding on every possible level to help bring these much-needed programs into operation on St. Maarten.”
