Government implements another project geared towards youth at risk
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Government implements another project geared towards youth at risk |
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Contact: Shannon Lebourne
Monday 24 January 2011 – The Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security is completing preparatory work for the establishment of a Court Diversion Programme for Saint Lucia.
The programme which will be implemented through the Probation and Parole Services Department will seek to address the growing problem of juvenile delinquency in the country.
Director of the Department Lucy Myers says the aim is to empower at risk youth with the necessary skills to improve their way of life and also serve as a catalyst for positive change in their communities.
“Last year we saw juveniles engaging in violent criminal acts and we said something has to be done to channel the energies of these children into something positive, hence the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security being cognizant of what is happening in our society really supported this programme to assist those juvenile offenders. We will be focusing on youth at risk, chronic school suspenders and school drop outs.”
The Court Diversion Programme will be piloted in the Castries basin. It will focus on a number of areas including remedial education, computer literacy, theatre arts, life skills, and home and financial management.
Director of the Probation and Parole Service Department says the authorities want to ensure that the lives of juvenile offenders are reformed to the point that they stay away from prison.
“The Court Diversion Programe has a community component to it where we are going work with the communities and the families of individual children because we believe that working with the families is the key to addressing most of the issues that we have today.”
The Probation and Parole Services Department will be collaborating with the Ministry of Education, the Boys Training Centre and other key partners to ensure the success of the programme.
The Court Diversion Programme is scheduled to be launched here on February 1st ,2011. Similar programmes have recorded numerous successes in North America.
The programme will target at risk youth ages 12 – 19.
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