Lawyers: Paradigm shift needed at GIS

The Barbados Bar Association (BBA) is calling for urgent reform at the Government Industrial School (GIS).

It has come in the wake of reports that girls at the juvenile penal institution in Barrows, St Lucy, were being placed in solitary confinement.

A week ago, reports of a naked girl in a cell at the GIS caused widespread outrage, prompting a promise of a full investigation into the matter by Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams.

The entire board at the GIS was replaced including former deputy chairman Marsha Hinds-Layne and the minister promised that legislation would be coming to guide practices at the institution.

In a statement issued by the BBA’s president Rosalind Smith-Millar, the lawyers said they were extremely disappointed with the recent developments.

“The BBA is deeply concerned regarding the treatment of a student at the GIS and other subsequent reports appearing in the press on the topic of the GIS. The treatment of our young citizens and the conditions described in the reports are more than ‘unfortunate’. They are a violation of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution, especially the right to be free from cruel and inhumane treatment; they are contrary to the International Human Rights Standards that we have agreed to maintain in accordance with various international instruments,” the release stated.

“The Government of Barbados is responsible for ensuring that every child under their care is properly provided for and systems are implemented to ensure their rehabilitation. The many reports indicate that the issues at the GIS are not isolated to the most recent reports, but are systemic. Members of the BBA have long expressed the view that the current system does not provide adequate safeguards for the wellbeing of juvenile offenders and is not fit for purpose.”

The BBA said while it was glad to hear an investigation was conducted into the most recent reported incident and that changes both to the board and to the prevailing legislation are in the offing, more changes were still necessary.

“What is also required is a paradigm shift in perspective and understanding of the underlying domestic and societal issues that lead to ‘wandering’ and other juvenile offences in order to effect change at a  ‘whole of society’ level. We must treat to the causes as well as the cures.

“In this regard, the BBA wholly supports the #ProtectOurGirls campaign and eagerly awaits the passage of the promised new holistic suite of legislation as well as the manifestation of that paradigm shift by way of the actions that must be taken immediately to ensure the complete and holistic reformation of the system that presently exists for the management of troubled juveniles,” the statement further added.

“The BBA is committed to assisting with this process and will be soliciting the views of its members as soon as the new draft legislation is available for review and comments to the Minister of Home Affairs.” (RB)