Dangerous juveniles must be removed from this centre

Sep 15, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
On April 8, 2011, during the regime of the previous government the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre was formally opened by the then Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Clement Rohee. Hold it for a second! It was the first facility of its kind locally. Are you still holding? And it was built at a cost of $37.6 million. Please continue to hold, and trust me you would not be allowed to expire.
In his opening speech the Minister outlined that the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, are called upon to provide their social workers to play a vital role in the operation of the Centre, through counselling and advice offered to both the parents and the offender(s). According to him these basic standards must ensure that the services provided within a physical environment that lends to a peaceful atmosphere, wherein the young adult can sense an attitude of caring on the part of those who would be administering the Holding Centre.
Minister Rohee, further went on to state that he was aware that while the Holding Centre may not be a great replacement for the home, nevertheless it will provide care and attention to the juvenile, facets that may be lacking in some homes in Guyana. Amen!
Superintendent of Works Fiaz Khan described the Holding Centre as being heavily barred -38 feet by 60 feet built of solid concrete reinforced with steel bars, with grill work installed around the building. To be institutionally and politically correct, Mr. Khan aptly stated; “It is completed and is intended for the purposes it has been constructed for”.
Let us fast forward but in a somewhat regulated manner. On September 10, 2016, not one but three juveniles were reported to have escaped from this one –of-a- kind idyllic holding facility by escaping through a hole that they had dug themselves. So much for the solid concrete, grill work and the steel bars! If I may ask what were they running from, or running to? Wasn’t this facility supposed to provide what they were lacking at home? Who was tuned in to these juveniles and their mode and manner of thinking? Who cared for them? Who shared with them? Who feared them? Who was overlooking them?
When the media visited the facility, the residents reported that the escapees had converted material from their bed frames into devices that were used to make holes in the concrete wall. Ingenuity at its very best! Or would that better put be “Poor workmanship on display? In addition these three escapees were not missed until the following morning. Clearly routine checks were not carried out, not to mention the fact that they also scaled a fence in order to gain freedom. Not wanting to add insult to injury but together they must have joked among themselves regarding the construction of the building and the imbecilic behaviour of those charged with keeping it secure.
Still in the fast forward mode, on September 12, 2016 again in the same facility, media report stated that ranks who were supposed to be overlooking these youths were being attacked by those whom they were expected to keep watch over. In some instances, plastic bags serving as depositories for excretory products have been thrown in the faces of the guards.
Of what quality are the workers employed at the facility? Where are the Social Workers that Minister Rohee spoke about? To add fire to fury, or anger to blatant insanity, the very ranks themselves have reported, that some of the teens, charged with murder, who have been detained at the Holding Centre for a lengthy have displayed violence not only towards other residents but also towards police ranks. Identified in this vicious attack was a 16 year old, facing murder charges but seemingly using that as a badge of honor as he is classified as being one of the most dangerous juveniles.
What are we waiting for? The juvenile has murdered, is placed among others in a facility geared towards some degree of reformation, self-introspection etc. and yet he continues his destructive traits, where murder is the main genre of his conversation. Easy lessons are good for dunces and tough school for fools. If he is mad or playing bad, then bid him farewell, send him off to the University where the big boys are housed and see how well and how long he would fare.
Are we going to wait until we get a repeat of the Camp Street prison situation? Why, oh! Why are the governmental authorities not alerted and called upon to act at the first sign of an unpleasant odor? There’s always a price to pay for delay. Seemingly the ranks stationed at the prison are inadequate, have lost control and are not respected as recently a police patrol reportedly had to be summoned to the facility to assist the ranks.
It is obvious to any civic and law abiding citizen that the Juvenile Holding Centre now houses the next batch of criminal performers rehearsing to perpetrate acts that would go down in the annals of Guyanese history. At all costs their efforts must be thwarted.
The Minister is called upon to diffuse this potential powder keg, start an immediate and thorough investigation regarding the recent escape, with staff punishment being swiftly rendered where deemed necessary.
We must ensure that according to the architect, Mr. Khan, the facility still lives up to the purpose for which it was constructed, and in addition according to Minister Rohee those mandated to play a part in the rehabilitation of the juveniles carry out their role.Let us not wait until it’s too late, for where’s there’s smoke there’s usually fire.
Yvonne Sam.

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