At-risk youth in Grenada, including those in conflict with the law, now have a greater opportunity for successful reintegration into their communities. This exciting development is a result of the official opening of the Bacolet Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre, one of the milestones of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID)-supported Juvenile Justice Reform Project (JJRP) in the OECS.

Under the U.S. taxpayer-funded US $5.8 million regional project, approximately US $700,000 was expended to support reform efforts in Grenada’s juvenile justice sector, which included exposing juvenile justice officials to child-centered techniques, tools, and modern approaches to improve care and treatment of vulnerable youth. Another achievement of the project was the development of a model Child Justice Bill for the OECS. To date, Grenada is one of three countries to have passed the Bill into law, signaling its true commitment to juvenile justice reform.

In addressing a joint opening ceremony for the Bacolet Youth Centre and close out for the Grenada project activities, USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean’s Mission Director, Christopher Cushing, said the facility’s opening marked a significant step for Grenada in providing youth with an opportunity to become positive change agents in their families and communities.

“USAID’s JJRP initiative promoted key reforms in how youth will be supported at the Bacolet Youth Centre and across the Caribbean. Most importantly, this is not simply a physical facility. Youth officials now possess new tools like anger management therapy and cognitive behavior therapy that are aimed at understanding how youth experience the world and that help youth develop strategies to address the challenges in their lives,” Mr. Cushing said.

Civil works, totaling US $73,331.42 (EC $197,994.84), completed the final phase of work on the Bacolet building, including the construction of a new “safe room” for treating youth recovering from trauma or other significant issues. Additionally, the Bacolet Youth Centre is now equipped with appropriate medical space that meets international standards and new equipment and tools to support technical and vocational training.

Mr. Cushing noted that what was “especially encouraging” was that youth leaving the facility would possess training certificates recognized by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), which would increase their employment potential.

Lauding the collaboration between the United States Government, the OECS Commission and Grenada’s Ministry of Social Development, Mr. Cushing said the JJRP had placed juvenile justice reform on an upward trajectory in the region. “As we look towards the future, the US Government, through USAID, is committed to continuing to support juvenile justice reform that will enable youth to achieve a more stable social and economic position and transform their lives, families, communities, and countries,” he stated.