The galleries and centre areas of the Anguilla House of Assembly were crowded on Wednesday, October 17, when the National Youth Council submitted a number of recommendations to the Government regarding youth development and the prevention of crime and violence.
The presentation of the recommendations followed Monday’s opening of the two-day conference at the Teachers’ Resource Centre. Some seventy young people were addressed there by a number of persons from the public and private sectors. The speakers included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Mrs.Chanelle Petty-Barrett; Labour Officer, Ms.Zulma Webster; Barrister-at-Law, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge; Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Rhonda Connor; and Mr. Michael Fleming.
The Youth Council finalised its recommendations on Tuesday, well in time for presentation on Wednesday. The preambles to the recommendations were that the National Youth Council was alarmed that young people are disproportionally exposed to and affected by crime and violence; it was further alarmed that a significant portion of our prison population are young people;distraught that a prison sentence is no longer a deterrent and that some young people view it as a status symbol;convinced that alternative sentencing and rehabilitation are vital components of any juvenile justice system; and it was aware that the degeneration of family values influences the incidence of crime and violence.
In addition, the National Youth Council was disturbed by the blatant disregard by some persons for the rule of law; it was concerned about the ineffective security measures at the comprehensive school; it recognised that youth unemployment rates are high and that there is limited availability of jobs; it was mindful that having technical skills are important for the development of Anguilla; and recognised that bullying can lead to criminal behaviours and activities.
The actual recommendations of the National Youth Council are as follows:
A comprehensive Behavioural Change Programme be implemented in schools (and communities) to deal with anti-social issues and promote civics, problem-solving skills, morals and values, religion etc.
Expedite and approve pending policies relevant to enabling vocational and technical regulation and certification;
Develop a national database of social programmes to inform corporate citizens, organisations and civil society;
Enhance policy frame-work in support of establishing a youth entrepreneurship scheme in Anguilla;
Promote and establish community workshops totrain, build capacity and develop skills via apprenticeship programmes;
Develop a mediation system – geared towards young offenders – focused on settlement rather than sentencing;
Acknowledging that a place of care and protection exists for males, we recommend that a venue for female juveniles is established;
Develop departmental initiatives using “trained Social Workers” to support and monitor “ex-offenders” to assist with their social reintegration;
Prison rehabilitation programmes should be instituted which focus on instilling work based skills and other education skills to become productive members of society.
Review the criminal laws relating to recorded convictions that may affect employment even after 10 years of the individual not re-offending.
Among those present at the submission of the recommendations were: Chief Minister, Hon. Hubert Hughes; Minister of Youth Affairs, Hon. Edison Baird; and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rudolph Proctor, all of who delivered remarks.
