Last week, it was reported that seven teenagers escaped from the Government Industrial School (GIS). I am really concerned about these developments because this has occurred on too many occasions.
The GIS is a juvenile correctional facility for children under the age of 18 who have either committed a crime or displayed very deviant, horrendous and aggressive behaviour. Some of these behaviours may include gang activity, robbery, sexual abuse, assault, and drug use and possession. Most, if not all of them, have either passed through the Probation Department, the court or the Edna Nicholls Centre before making GIS their temporary home.
Last year, the guidance counsellor and I visited three students from the school where I was teaching who were remanded to the GIS. When we arrived at the gate, I was totally shocked. In my opinion, that place either needed new management, was severely under-funded, or both.
The gate and surrounding fences and walls were poorly secured. With little effort or common sense, students could easily escape.
To my surprise, some students wore brand name clothes and shoes and I even saw one walking around with two big rocks. When I inquired from my students why this was so, they told me: “Sir, don’t worry ’bout he; he got papers.” “Papers?” I asked. “Yes, Sir, yuh know, like for the mental.”
Imagine, in a facility where the slightest thing may cause a fight (and there have been incidents of stabbings), around the compound were rocks, stones, 2×4 pieces of wood, nails, steel, iron and so on.
There was zero, nil, nada supervision of the “inmates” while they were socialising playing football.
If I had my way, students who visit GIS under my management would leave with one desire – never to return. My team would include teachers, social workers, psychologists, tradesmen, nurses and the military.
Here’s how I would run such a school:
1. There would be a minimum stay of four months with no parental visits for the first two months. Students would be allowed to call parents for five minutes on weekends after the first 14 days.
2. On arrival the first day, students’ heads would be shaved bald, except for religious reasons; all personal belongings taken away and students issued with work overalls, indoor clothing and shoes, a towel, liquid soap, baking soda, a toothbrush, cream and deodorant.
3. For the first five weeks students would sleep on military mats on the floor. No pillow, no blanket, no furniture.
Wake-up time, 4:25 a.m.; roll call, 4:30 a.m.; exercise, from 4:40 a.m. to 5 a.m.; shower, from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. under a shed outdoors (no hot water).
Breakfast, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., would be cooked oats with no sugar, scrambled eggs with no salt, biscuits and a 12-ounce glass of warm water;
7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. – cleaning of the kitchen, bathrooms and general surroundings; 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. – return to cell for quiet time;
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – counselling and motivational talks;
10:30 a.m. – a glass of almond milk;
10:35 a.m. to noon – return to cell for quiet time;
noon to 1 p.m. – lunch with pumpkin, salad, veggies, fish, rice, water;
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – cleaning of kitchen, mess hall and continuation of morning general duties;
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – return to cell for quiet time;
3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – reading time (in cell);
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – organised and supervised recreation, with roll call afterwards;
5:40 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – evening shower; 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – evening snack of cereal and milk with no sugar, fruit; 7:30 p.m. – roll call, lights out and bed.
After the first five weeks, based on behaviour, blankets, pillows, additions to meals, skills training, personal development workshops, academic classes and so on would be added.
Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Email [email protected].
