A number of practitioners have been exposed to training in risk assessment in keeping with provisions of the Child Justice Bill which will soon to be enacted by Parliament.
The four day training which started on Tuesday April 26th, 2016 at the Public Service Training Centre was supported by the OECS/USAID Juvenile Justice Reform Programme.
The Child Justice Bill establishes a procedure for the assessment of children alleged to have committed a crime prior to appearance at an initial inquiry.That approach is different from what now exists in law.
The training in risk assessment provided mandated and potential assessors in the Juvenile Justice Sector knowledge and skills on various levels of risks and how, as trained licensed personnel, they are to administer an assessment tool.
The Child Justice Legislation pre-supposes a cadre of trainers who would ensure that there is a pool of people to use the assessment tools.
It is expected that following the training, Dominica now has in place certified assessors to assist in the implementation of certain aspects of the Child Justice Act.
Wonderful.