THREE hundred and eleven juvenile offenders from across the island who are currently on probation orders will, over the next two weeks, embark on what organisers call “a holistic journey towards positive transformation and empowerment”.
The offenders, aged 14 to 16 years, who have committed offences including unlawful wounding, possession of ganja and having sexual intercourse with girls under 16 years, will participate in the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) annual Challengers Camp, under the theme: “The transformation begins with you”.
Thirteen camps throughout the department’s three regions started Monday and will run until August 25.
The DCS said that the Challenger Camp, now in its 14th year, is aimed at stimulating the mind of the campers so that they will see the need to make the changes that are necessary to become the best that they can be.
It will, the DCS said, expose participants to sessions dealing with self-esteem and self-worth; substance use and misuse; anger management and conflict resolution; healthy interpersonal relationships; career development and skills training; money management and entrepreneurial training; spiritual management and social graces.
Speaking at Monday’s launch of the camp at the Portmore Probation Office in St Catherine, chief probation after-care officer for region two Coleen Clarke said the highlight of the camp will be the visits by each group to two adult correctional centres. She anticipates that the camp will create opportunities to aid in the transformation of the participants’ life so that they can contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030.
“Reaching deviant youths in today’s society is deemed very challenging and there are no easy remedies when we are confronted daily with heightened levels of oppression, deprivation, guilt, anger and a sense of hopelessness.
“This mammoth task, therefore, requires intervention strategies that possess some level of creativity, vibrancy and allow for an intuitive use of self. It is against this background that the Challengers’ Camp was established and continues to receive overwhelming support,” she said.
