Govt Industrial School urged not to relax environment for youth offenders

Changes need to take place at the Government Industrial School (GIS), but the reformatory institution cannot be turned into a “soft” environment for the young people sent there.

Director of the Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS) Roger Husbands said that in addition to the recent change of the school’s board, he hoped that the disciplinary component of GIS’ programme would not be stopped, as he feared that any such move would not deter young people from committing criminal offences.

And while there are ongoing investigations into alleged abuse at the school, Husbands who works with children struggling with substance abuse and behavioural issues, insisted that extreme measures such as locking students away in cells must not be a part of the disciplinary process he is suggesting.

“They need to be disciplined but not by locking them in cells and other inhumane things. We cannot make the institution too soft. I am telling you that these young people will take that softness and recommit an offence because they know that they can go in there and sit down with their friends and watch television and have a facility to walk about in and do it again over and over.

“That is what is going to happen if they don’t bring some kind of purpose to this place where young people understand that if you commit crime, you go here and it is not going to be an easy time. There is a penalty attached to doing the crime; you are taken away from your family and your friends and sent there where there will be no socializing and having a good time.

“Make it too soft and they are going to come back over and over again. The men killing one another in Barbados today because they know they will go to jail for a little bit and then come back out and kill again,” Husbands said.

Husbands further suggested a need

to revamp and adjust the  structure of the rehabilitation programme at the school to  meet the needs of the present and future generations.

In fact, Husbands said that if the Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams saw it fit to change the Board a few weeks ago, he should also look into changing the staff working at the facility, to accommodate whatever its new purpose will be.

He insisted that the staff working with the young people must be carefully chosen and thoroughly trained.

“Train them in the purpose. The centre needs a purpose, both the boys and girls sections. But we need such a facility. I think if you get people on board with a programme that says look, we are rehabilitating these young people, we are redirecting these young people, we are working to help these young people to adjust back into society, to not commit an offence again, and have proper teaching facilities, then we will see a difference. And the children have to be disciplined, but they do not need to be locked in a cell,” Husbands said. (anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)