Cinematography is the focus of a new program for the Boys Training Centre in Saint Lucia. A media release from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) announced on Thursday that the OECS Commission and USAID, through the Juvenile Justice Reform Project (JJRP), have implemented a capacity-building intervention at the Training Centre, which will be facilitated by Dove Productions Limited.
“The Solutions to involve children in conflict with the law is an important path in the rehabilitation, re-entry and reintegration process in the community, family, and other social institutions. Acquiring the necessary life skills and gaining competencies to secure and maintain employment is a critical element of successful reintegration into society. Globally, young workers continue to face high rates of poverty and are increasingly exposed to non-standard, informal and less secure forms of employment. The situation is likely to be more acute for children and youth who have come in conflict with the law.
The JJRP cinematography intervention will engage 12 boys at the Boys Training Centre in various techniques of videography. This is an important step towards the social inclusion of a vulnerable community by way of improving their resilience through skill development,” according to the release.
The Boys Training Centre Facebook page informs that the facility provides general residential as well as specialised treatment services for two categories of male juveniles, namely, Juvenile Offenders and Juveniles In Need of Care and Protection. The juveniles who are placed at the Centre are wards of the State, and can only be placed at the institution through a formal commitment order of the Family Court. The Centre is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for these wards of the State and guiding them towards rehabilitation and successful reintegration into their respective households and communities.
The Centre helps young men become productive law-abiding citizens, equipped with the requisite skills or education that can enable them to make a positive or honorable contribution to the society in their chosen field. A structured program of activities geared towards rehabilitation and reintegration into the community include Skills/Vocational Development/Training; Auto-Mechanic/Welding; Carpentry/Joinery (Woodwork); Agriculture; and Remedial Education.
The JJRP has been in place for more than a decade; focussing on diversion, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law. The project is being implemented in the six OECS Independent Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
