The country’s Chief Magistrate Candia Carrette-George, is reiterating calls for the establishment of a Juvenile Detention Center in Dominica.
The call for such a center dates back as far as 2011 by former Magistrate Tiyani Behanzin.
Carrette-George said at the start of the New Law Year this week that the facility will assist in the administration of justice for young people here.
“Whenever an opportunity presents itself, I must use it to continue to impress upon the powers that be about the urgent need for a Juvenile Detention Facility on island,” she said.
This time, Carrette-George says she hopes her call will not fall on deaf ears, “as this will greatly assist with the administration of justice as regards our young people in this nation,” she said.
She said magistrates are also burdened by the outdated court system.
“Magistrates still remain constrained to taking copious notes of everything that is said in court. This is extremely time consuming,” she said.
It is Carrette-George’s hope that consideration will be given to obtaining a new audio recording system with transcriptionist and other necessary support staff to eliminate the process.
Several countries in the Eastern Caribbean have already moved away from the archaic system.
Everything of a positive nature is needed in Dominica. Juvenile Detention Center; Rehabilitation Center for Drug &Alcohol Addicts; Domestic Abuse Home; etcetera. Only an uncaring government neglect the vulnerable while basking in opulence gained by corruption, greed and selfishness.
A no- brainer, it shouldn’t take a judge to reveal that to any society. Money is being spent on drains and walls while our young are housed together with hardened criminals for just making their first or 2nd mistake in life. It’s like giving a woman a C-section without anesthetics.
I see all the moo-moo talking now. Hmmmm, just be reminded that there is no money in the treasury and we may have to get a loan from the Skerrit Labour Party to build such a facility
Candia will have to check to see if that on the DLP manifesto!
It is time to update our court system and start to cater for our youths. How can we expect that the youth make mistakes and we have no facilities to help them return into society. It is time we have a Juvenile center that can function as an educational facility to help our lost young ones.