Accra, March 27, - Juvenile
inmates in correctional centres can now heave a sigh of relief in their three
years rehabilitation programme as the first ever Criminogenic Unit (CU) would
be established in the country.
It is a personality and
behavioural disorders unit where potential barriers confronting inmates are
maximised and overcome through the benefits of laid down interventions.
Mrs Susan Sabaa, the Executive
Director of Child Research and Resource Centre (CRRECENT), disclosed this at a
training seminar organised for 12 media practitioners from selected media
houses in Accra.
The training had the objective of
developing participant’s awareness, understanding and appreciation of the
juvenile offenders’ life circumstances, and using their professional skills to
address causal factor rehabilitation and re-integration support services in the
country.
She said, the unit, set to be
birthed by CRRECENT would be a preventive programme that would deal with
children who have already gone delinquent.
"And this will also build in
them resilient to withstand factors that are making them find themselves in
such areas," she said.
Mrs Sabaa explained that the CU
would have a number of components and among them would be the training of 20
prison officers by medical psychologists for them to know how to deal and
address the challenges of victims.
According to the Executive
Director of CRRECENT, prison officers to be trained would not be transferred
from the correctional centres.
"We are doing this for
government to know this is an initiative and they need to follow.
"As NGOs we have the
capacity to lead in certain areas," she said.
She also noted that support
services would be available for victims; and they would also be connected to
corporate bodies for assistance after their rehabilitation programmes.
Speaking on the general theme:
"Strategies to Combat Juvenile Crime in Ghana", Mrs Sabaa mentioned
strengthening of community structures, early interventions through social
protection, improved child and family welfare service and alternative care when
the child's family is not an option as some of the measures needed by stakeholders
in addressing the challenge.
She however attributed some of
the causes of juvenile delinquency to irresponsible parenting, social media
influence, get rich quick attitude among the youth, high drop-out rate from
school and inadequate recreational and counselling facilities.
Currently, defilement cases are
the leading offences among juvenile offenders with Ashanti and Eastern regions
leading in juvenile delinquent cases.
Mrs Efua Chidi, a Public
Relations, and Communication Branding Consultant, urged journalists to uphold
and promote highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in their
reportage on children.
Among the issues discussed at the
day's training were; overview of the juvenile justice project by CRRECENT,
nature and causes of juvenile delinquency and crime, local, international and
frameworks on juvenile crime,
Others were; approaches to
addressing juvenile crime, international and local efforts at re-integration
and media and juvenile delinquency.
Some participants who spoke to
the Ghana News Agency said, the engagement was insightful and had broadened
their knowledge on juvenile justice.
CRRECENT is a civil-society
organisation that focuses on evidence-based programmes to promote child and
youth protection and development.
It also has a vision to
contribute to building a well-integrated society that recognises children in
every sector and create the necessary space and opportunity to respond to their
developmental needs.
GNA
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