The Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons With Disabilities & Youth; through the Child Development Division, in collaboration with Her Majesty’s Prisons, hosted a graduation ceremony for ten (10) participants in the Aggression Replacement Training (ART).
ART seeks to provide a comprehensive intervention programme to address aggressive behaviour in youth. It is made up of three components such as Social Skills, Anger Control and Moral Reasoning. The participants in this programme consisted of ten (10) males from ages 17 to 32, who have been incarcerated at Her Majesty’s Prison for various offences, as these participants have shown some level of aggression. The programme ran for ten (10) weeks, three days per week, from May 6th to July 12th, 2019.
Superintendent of the Prison Mr. Charles, thanked the Ministry for its collaboration and reiterated the Prison’s commitment in rehabilitating the inmates in their care. He sounded the cry for more family involvement in the lives of the inmates as this aide in the rehabilitation process. He urged the participants to take the information learnt into transformative living.
On the other hand, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nerissa Gittens-McMillan, in her delivery, recommitted the Ministry’s involvement in the holistic development of the inmates, especially the youth. She urged the inmates to “change their thoughts as this can change their lives.” She made the comments as she encouraged the inmates to be examples for others in the prisons. She too reiterated the need for family involvement in the lives of the inmates. “Do not leave them without care and support, they are still part of your family and should be loved and cared for”, she encouraged, as family members were on hand to view the graduation ceremony.
SOURCE: Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disability and Youth
