Director of CHANCES, Jenny Honore-St Valle, has said that the establishment of a juvenile centre is much needed in Dominica.
She made the call recently, as a guest on Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Annou Pale Programme.
“We need a juvenile centre or at least an alternative, because presently the courts, because their hands are tied, are sending juveniles to CHANCES and it is defeating the purpose of care and protection,” she stated.
Honore-St. Valle said this is one of the challenges the institution faces.
According to her, CHANCES which was officially opened on the 13th April, 2011, is a residential home providing care and protection for children from birth to 18 years.
“We have to help give them a different perspective on life because some of their experiences have been horrible,” she remarked.
Honore-St. Valle said CHANCES offers to its residents, counseling and academic programmes and helps them morally, spiritually and physically.
“So we create a holistic child,” she said.
Prime Minister Skerrit indicated that his cabinet recently had discussions with regard to a juvenile centre for Dominica.
“We had a discussion with Cabinet two weeks ago because we understand the challenges that some of the people are being referred to CHANCES by the court. The Cabinet gave both your minister and the Minister for National Security certain directives on some of the ways this can be achieved, almost immediately, with the setting up of the juvenile centre,” he revealed. “So I am hoping we could get the report.”
In August 2017, Child Rights Advocate, Gloria Augustus, during a three-day workshop for police and prison officers on Juvenile Justice Reform held at the Police Training School in Morne Bruce, also called for a juvenile facility for Dominica, making it clear that CHANCES is not a juvenile centre.
“In Dominica, we have no detention facility for juveniles,” she said. “CHANCES is not a detention facility as some people think, the place in Jimmit, OYQ [Operation Youth Quake] is not a detention facility.”
Augustus noted that juveniles who have to go through the court system are taken from adult courts.
She stated it now means that “we build small rehabilitative facilities for boys and girls.”
Since its inception CHANCES has facilitated 215 residents and currently have a total of 22 residents.
We already have a juvenile centre at Q95radio Station why do we need another!!!
apparently you dont listen to Kairi, especially when daryll, ghost and the rest of the clowns on the air. Boy look immaturity. i swear they does be drunk, or experimenting with illicit substances.. I really try to listen to them to hear a different perspective, but a lot of what they say is just outbursts and rambles and tasteless. They dont address the real issues. They make excuses and deflect on matters. they try to make fun of figures who address pertinent matters lke its all a joke. pure juvenile mentality.
I was in high school, donkey years ago when pleas were made to the former administration for such services. It’s now donkey years later and this still has not been done. It shows that we have not evolved as a society and attention to the needs of our young persons, especially the troubled ones remains a low priority on the agenda. These centers are null and void if they are not staffed by Licensed Clinical Social Workers to provide ongoing treatment services, in keeping the DSMVVI. and other treatment modalities.
Most of us are NOT in favour of institutions for our children who at this stage are vulnerable, confused, without good parenting not engaged within a family Unit, that is the “HOME” which is the best Institution for every child, in particular the infant’s. Other matters of concerns are their growth, minds where our parents are the key guardians and comforter to these young people in need of good parenting being with them at all times that they are prepared for school 🏫 and focussed on their Educational and Recreational Development from Nursery, Baby sitting, and Pre School 🏫.
Children who are NOT well cared for nor well Disciplined will be forced to be diverted in the company of nefarious people out there. That’s NOT Helpful but dangerous. Our Welfare Division and other caring institutions must be in the forefront of leadership/parenting thru guidance. The home 🏘️ is key at all times as this prominent Unit Family. In absence of this they’ll deviate Outside. Let’s Protect them.
Everything to do with the enhancement of people’s life is sadly lacking in Dominica for the last twenty-one (21) consecutive years of this DLP led administration.
Appropriate facilities for juvenile offenders, domestic abused victims, recovering drug and alcoholic addicts, the ever increasing number of vagrants and homeless citizens should have been in place many moons ago.
One of the most glaring problems with this present nakedly corrupt regime is that it overpromises and underdelivers.
The need for a facility for juvenile law breakers in recent times has caused the reactionary regime to make yet another sad, empty promise.
Promises are comforting to fools. Concrete commitment and delivery is what the people desire.
After the wall of China finish build you all will maybe get that. These matters are not a concern. Keep up the great work Jenny. Too much emphasis is being put only on young girls and women. Womens this and that. funding all over the place for women’s empowerment, Seminars for women, Loans in financial institutions for women, Classrooms mostly filled by who again? women. Offices in both private and public sectors, women. My office alone has only 3 men and 8 women. I believe women have gotten more than a fair playing field, but they still play the victim. The collective buying power of women in Dominica is tremendous, but they still rely on men to support them. No problem, men are supposed to lead, but men and young boys have been forgotten by society. Men and young boys have been alienated and disenfranchised by the working of modern society, and in many respects the actions and mentality of the modern women. Save our young men today so we have better leaders tomorrow. Get off the…
Very, very true! Males are now being marginalized but the feminine agenda is still being pushed more than ever before.
By the way ‘If We Know Batter’ what was the original topic?
I know i went off on a tangent, the institution needs help. My mindset was on a demographics of cases of the institution. Majority are young boys.