The skills training part of the rehabilitation process for inmates at the Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre (YTRC) has encountered a serious security risk that has now been identified as a major challenge.
Inmates have been caught involving themselves in the drug trade while outside the YTRC walls despite prison officers’ supervision.
This was identified during yesterday’s Joint Select Committee (JSC) of The Parliament on the status of the implementation of recommendations of the committee into the treatment of child offenders.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security Vel Lewis said out of the 81 young men at the centre, only seven of them were enrolled in the Metal Industries Company (MIC).
He, however, noted that because of the challenges that number decreased to four. There are 12 girls at the centre but housed at a different location in Golden Grove.
He told chairman, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly that the challenge “is more security than anything else in taking them outside of the centre.”
He added that because of the challenges with getting programmes from the MIC and YTEPP properly implemented, the ministry has taken the decision to refurbish a workshop space.
“So, that we could have better control and better security for the conduct of those programmes within the compound itself and not expose ourselves to the challenges of getting those young persons outside of the walls of the YTRC to have those training programmes conducted,” Lewis said.
Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Dane Clarke, in further explaining the grave situation, said the MIC programme started in September 2018 and at the end of November there were several instances where the boys were found with marijuana.
“In the last occasion, the young man was taken to the police station where he was arrested and charged for possession of marijuana. So, at MIC, we, despite the supervision, we have seen the inclination to involve themselves in the drug trades and whatever else and that poses a security risk to the staff that goes out there with them,” Clarke said.
“As you have heard the staff has been threatened once they are out there so in communicating with the PS and other stakeholders we have found that it may be better to have MIC and other such institutions come to deliver the programme at the YTRC as opposed to the security risk and challenges that poses externally to YTRC,” he added.
With respect to monitoring and follow-ups of inmates, even after they leave the centre, Lewis said that discussions with the Children’s Authority and other stakeholders have already begun in what measures can be implemented. He said he would also consider getting non-governmental organisations and other community groups involved.
One of the other challenges, Gadsby-Dolly noted was that of Human Resources issues where she said that “there is still work to be done to fulfil recommendation for providing specialized staff for rehabilitation.”
She, however, noted that On-the-Job trainees have been deployed to assist in critical areas.
It was disclosed that currently there is a need for ten additional psychologists at the YTRC.