Youth rehabilitation centre set to open in Kandal later this year

THE Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation is set to open a youth rehabilitation centre in Kandal province in the third quarter of this year with the initial step of transferring about 300 juvenile offenders from prison to the facility.

The project was unveiled during a visit by social affairs minister Vong Sauth and Kandal provincial governor Kong Sophoan to inspect facilities for the youth rehabilitation centre, which is located in the still-underconstruction national drug rehabilitation centre in Kandal Stung district’s Barkou commune on May 26.

Social affairs ministry spokesman Touch Channy told The Post that Vong Sauth will meet Minister of Interior Sar Kheng to discuss the official opening of the centre.

“Construction is complete and arrangements to transfer people to the facility are being arranged, so the social affairs minister will ask [Sar Kheng] to review the schedule to officially open the facility. The centre can be opened in the third quarter in July or August,” he said.

Channy said initially the ministry planned to transfer about 300 juveniles from Kandal provincial prison as this prison is overcrowded. The new centre can accommodate 2,000 inmates.

“Because those juveniles are sent to prisons for committing crimes, they have become overcrowded. So the government, through the ministry, has constructed this centre for minors to be educated and rehabilitated,” he said.

Channy said the centre is not only for juveniles from Kandal provincial prison but also for other inmates. This is Cambodia’s first centre for juvenile offenders.

“It is good for Cambodia because the centre is a correctional centre for juveniles who have broken the law. In the past, we don’t know where to put them so they are put in prisons, which are for adults. And when juveniles and adults are detained together, the juveniles lose their education,” he said.

There are currently about 1,800 incarcerated juveniles nationwide.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director for rights group Licadho, welcomed the move but he urged the government to pay more attention to the education and health of children.

“Having a youth rehabilitation centre is a good thing, but the most important thing is the management, care and detention of juveniles in this centre.

“Hygiene, in particular, needs to be provided with additional teaching and learning skills so a rehabilitated child can contribute to our society,” he said.

According to Channy, the centre will play an important role in managing juveniles and provide education, vocational training, psychological education, treatment, care and help them become useful citizens.

The construction of the youth rehabilitation centre began on February 20 last year and was completed on the same date this year with an area of 48,830sqm and 15 buildings. The construction of the national drug rehabilitation centre began on March 15 this year and is scheduled to be completed on January 15 next year with an area of 19,748sqm.