No plans to close GIS

Barbadians who are calling for the closure of the Government Industrial School (GIS), in light of recent reports of a disturbing incident at the institution, will not have their request granted, but the public is being assured that wards of that institution will no longer be placed in cells.

This has been made clear by Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams who also announced during a press conference today that there are plans to remove wandering from the law books.

This week, there was much public discussion and outrage after a 14-year-old young lady was photographed naked in a cell at the GIS.

Abrahams, who did not give an in-depth analysis into the investigations regarding that particular incident, said the circumstances, which led to the young lady being placed in isolation without critical pieces of clothing, was considered, as of Friday, consistent with normal practices and circumstances at the institution.

However, the Minister of Home Affairs said that acting on the advice of independent professionals and agencies, such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), he has given instructions that the age old practice of children being detained in isolation under circumstances that are less than acceptable is archaic and unwarranted in the 21st century, and must be stopped immediately.

“Child detention must be seen as a last resort. UN Conventions are clear on this matter . . .,” he said.

He said all concerned, including Cabinet, accepts that wandering, which is one of the reasons children are sent to the GIS, has to go.

“I can tell you as a fact that wandering is not in the future of the judicial system and the legislative make up of Barbados. Actually, in the new Child Justice Legislation, which is finished, wandering is one of those things that disappears. The whole concept of wandering as a criminal offence is abhorrent to me and to many of us, if we know the history of it and how it came to be there. I am surprised that it is still there.

“What we need to understand is that most of these children are victims. Children who are happy and who are in a stable family environment don’t wander off from home, don’t go missing, don’t run away. So most of the children that come before the courts in relation to wandering have some deeper issue going on than they just decided to leave home and not come back,” Abrahams said, noting that there must be some facility for the state to send children crying out for help.

Abrahams also gave the assurance that, with the assistance of the new GIS board, he would be examining every case at the institution to avoid the wards being held any longer than they need to be.

He explained that just a few weeks ago, he ordered the release of a number of boys at the GIS who have served their time and paid their debt to society. He said the intention was to take the same steps at the girls’ section. (AH)