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“We have sourced a few acres of land in a nice location and we would like to build a first world standard juvenile facility where intakes would be classified so you won’t have violent offenders with non-violent offenders,” Backer said.
An important feature of the facility would be access to a structured curriculum that would allow them to participate in educational classes while at the facility.
“Unless you can enrich these kids’ lives while they are there, you are sending them back to do exactly what they did before and so nothing would change,” Backer asserted.
At present, both Martindale and Backer feel that though they are administrators at the centre who are trying to work with the youth, not enough resources are available to facilitate such. In addition to this, the teens possess varied educational backgrounds; some are unable to read and write, while others are at grade standard and some are above grade standard. But with limited financial and human resources, not much can be done.
“This is a kind of situation where once you go into it and you see how solvable the issues are, because these are not heavy-lifts, these are not big deals, it’s little small things, but the persons for the most part who are able to fix these things may not even be aware that these issues actually exist,” Backer posited.
“The minute they come through the gate they are classified as troublemakers and the girls as whatever and they are not even treated as second class, they are treated as just disregarded. So their concerns, their needs and their wants, their fears, no one pays attention to that; they are just thrown in a corner and that’s it,” he added.
Concerns were also expressed over the lack of common areas that can be used by the juveniles as well as the longstanding issue of overcrowding at the facility.
“These kids are in cells, these are not dorms with fluffy mattresses; they are cells and there is solitary confinement when they misbehave. There is no common eating area. They eat in the cells… The facility was not designed to do what it’s supposed to. The design was punitive so there is no space really for rehabilitation,” Backer related.
At present, the facility has seven cells, which in the past, have housed as many as 36 teens at one time.
According to Martindale, this adds to the frustration felt by the teens at the facility.
“Five or six people in a cell is too much but that’s the way it is and the overcrowding adds to the frustration; they are teenagers and they have hormone issues, everyone wants to be big man or big woman and they are finding themselves at the same time so they have the frustrations of being there in the first place as well as all this pent-up energy because even though they are afforded some amount of recreation, it is not enough,” he related.
In the interim, the EPIC is working to develop a learning centre at the detention facility, where computers and other educational equipment will be provided. Additionally, they have also received an expression of interest from an outside party for the provision of a Math and English Language tutor. This plan of action has already been endorsed by the Ministry of Public Security, which the NGO had approached sometime back, Backer related.
But as plans are underway for this project, the duo welcomes new volunteers to join them in the work they do.
“We have members in Diaspora who aid with contributions but as far as the everyday office and logistics, Winston and I do that, anybody else assists in a way where they are volunteering their time and knowledge to get it done… Those who may not be familiar with the centre, I would suggest if possible they try to visit the facility and see in what way they can possibly offer some relief,” Backer said.
“The impact we have is limited by the resources available and those resources include people who can administer whatever the initiatives are. So we need all the help we can get, its one Guyana and we can’t do it alone,” added.
“We want to be a part of the solution, we don’t regard ourselves as taking ownership of anything, we just want to play our part, raise our voices and hope that persons are interested enough to help us and see what kind of impact we can have together,” Martindale offered.
Additional information on the work of EPIC-Guyana can be obtained through queries made via email at WinstonM@Epicguyana.org. Or BrianB@Epicguyana.org. t
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