… administration working to improve reformative approach
In light of recent reports of juvenile detainees escaping from custody after being institutionalized at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast, the administration there has indicated that the institution is currently in transition mode, and is set to undergo a number of changes, determined following a visit to the institution by President David Granger earlier this year.
Rayad Emrit hands over a donation of cricket gear to the New Opportunity Corps on behalf of the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The initiative was made possible by GTT on Saturday
NOC Administrator Mark Dover said over the weekend that, stemming from this transformation, the NOC will see a number of enhancements, including a shift to a more reformative curriculum, rather than just providing rehabilitation.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Education Ministry (MoE), the NOC now falls under the umbrella of the Social Protection Ministry (MSP), through its Department of Social Services (DSS, MSP).
In an interview with Guyana Times Dover detailed that aspects of the NOC’s impending transformation provide a much welcomed boost to the Centre’s operations.
He outlined what those changes would mean for the NOC, and posited, “Because we come under Social Services, they will pay more interest in training, teaching…,” The result, he said, would be that “Every child that comes in will be able to go to remedial literacy class, because the level of the students when they come in is always below (acceptable levels).”
The Head of the NOC relayed that, prior to the shift in management, the institution already had in place a number of capacity building opportunities available to the detainees, so as to ensure their successful reintegration into society while paving a way for them to have a fairly successful future after serving their terms. These, he pointed out, are courses and skills training in areas such as Information Technology, Agriculture, Catering and Home Management, Welding and Fabrication, Electrical Technology and Joinery.
It was also highlighted that some of the NOC juveniles are allowed to pursue formal education at nearby schools.
Dover also said, “We normally have children that go out and take part in all other national activities during the year, like Mashramani, football and cricket competitions.”
Despite the many efforts undertaken by the institution and its governing ministry, the NOC continues to record a number of misdemeanors, especially in the area of absconding.
Responding to inquires as to why such cases continue to persist, Dover explained that the inmates, from time to time, take advantage of periods during which the staff on ground are not at full capacity. In doing so, the juvenile detainees abscond beyond the permitted boundaries, and are aided by the poor reinforcements in place to restrict their wandering.
A total of 56 workers are stationed at the facility.
The NOC sits between the community of Adventure on the right and Sand Pit village on the left. The compound is bordered on the right by an accessible trench, but is merely secured by a penetrable fence to the left. The backlands to the south remain open as a vast field taken over by vegetation.
Dover noted, “You can only minimize the absconding, but can’t eradicate it because of how they abscond. At any time students can run away. On the weekends is when most of the absconding happens, when we’re at a small amount of staff supervision.”
Nevertheless, the administrator went to say, “In terms of trying to minimize (absconding), what we do is give them games, keep them occupied; have more people looking at them. In terms of keeping them in, we try to convince them that, once the court sends you here, you have to serve the time.”
Dover said he looks forward to the NOC completely transitioning to the Social Protection Ministry, and he sincerely hopes that occurrences of absconding would gradually be erased as more doors for positive outcomes stem from juveniles being detained at the NOC.
The New Opportunity Corps houses underage offenders who are institutionalized for breaking the law, rather than being subjected to the harsh conditions of adult prisons. NOC presently houses a total of 71 juveniles, comprising 32 males and 39 females all between the ages of 13 and 17, but the Centre can legally admit offenders from as young as the age of 10.
