The establishment of a juvenile center for young offenders in Dominica is said to be one of the items on the priority list of the new chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Former Registrar, Reginald Winston, told the Scheme’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday that a facility for young offenders is essential.
“With two lawyers now on the executive, it has to be a challenge for us that we undertake the creation of a juvenile center for misguided youths who find themselves in trouble and end up in the prisons with seasoned criminals,” he said. “It is incumbent on us that when we meet here next year we will be happy to announce that through our efforts we have created a juvenile center for our misguided youths.”
Currently, there are no facilities to house juvenile offenders in Dominica.
Winston also said a project to avoid blindness will also be undertaken under his watch.
“Research is showing that blindness is being caused mainly by diseases like diabetes. We are going to take on this project very aggressively to see how we can abate blindness, which is such a disastrous thing in the lives of young people,” he said.
The featured speaker at Saturdays AGM was Principal of St Martin’s Secondary School, Andra Christian, who called on past members to contribute to the organization.
SOunds great, good luck Mr. Winston on this initiative.
You can call this Center, Second Chance, giving the juveniles a second chance. It is welcome news for the nation and should be for the juveniles. It could not be done sooner. They should also receive rehabilitation.
Some of those children had no (proper) guidance and associated with the wrong crowd which is why they found themselves in trouble. They do need help, better than they are presently receiving, if any at all.
Those who are school dropouts should be able to complete their schooling or learn a trade that one day they will return to society and be useful nationals. If this is successful Dominica and nationals will immensely benefit including those youths as they grow up to adulthood.
There is no doubt that the parents of those youths will be elated about this new center for their children. Those children obviously were disobedient to their parents and so their parents will welcome this facility where their children will be able to receive relevant training and discipline. This new undertaking will be well worth the effort.
The youths are the future adults of the country. They must be well-nurtured and disciplined for their own good and the good of society.
That’s so true, many times if the juvenile is sent to an institution where they can learn, and earn credits for better behavior they can proceed with success in the future, but being among criminals can disrupt their minds and disturb their thinking. I support the move 100%
Being a cousellor working with youth ans adults suffering from mnental illness and addiction, I hope the facility will make one on one coulselling part of the agenda. After all issues that are causing such behaviors needs to be dealt with first.