Under-Resourced Correctional Facilities Increase Recidivism

Senator Matthew Samuda says juvenile correctional facilities are not well resourced, resulting in higher rates recidivism or repeat offending.

The Minister is calling for more resources to help rescue the nation’s most vulnerable and at-risk offenders.

Minister Samuda says juvenile centres are under-resourced, which puts wards at a disadvantage and is counterproductive in integrating these wards back to society as fully reformed.

Samuda says over 400 young people who sit the exams have a pass rate in the high 80’s despite the challenging conditions but, the number of repeated offenders (recidivism) is still high at between 40 to 50 percent.

He says the short number of years given for a rehabilitation process is a factor that adds to the reoffending rate in adult facilities but, in juvenile centres they are faced with a different challenge due to the lack of resources.

The Minister says the staffs in the correctional facilities are also underpaid compared to public facilities. This ultimately affects the quality of service in the institutions and influence recidivism.

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