THE HARDSHIPS OF KIDS BEHIND BARS
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
Children as young as 8 to 15 are found in prisons cells with hardened criminals and paedophiles they are abused and enslaved in sub-human conditions ,clean the toilets sleep on the concrete ,are bitten by mosquitoes get malaria or dengue or ward off the cockroaches. They eat their food in their hands from a sheet of newspaper .The toilets a hole in the floor becomes blocked and the have to clean it out. They are malnourished and slowly starve for want of food and sanitation. Diseases are rampant and this is where they are recruited into criminals and tattooed with the code sign of the gang whose cell are in so crowded that many cant sleep on the floor and they lie down in turns. Here is a story of the rescue of children by the Preda team and a visit by a volunteer at Preda. We are changing this and with CNN shamed the Philippines authorities to pass a juvenile justice bill. Preda is filling up and busy fund raising to build a new home for the many that we are rescuing and getting released by the court.
Deirdre McCarthy-
Irish solicitor (Preda Volunteer)
THE PREDA BOYS HOME, OLONGAPO CITY.
May 31, 2007
The Preda Boys Home ("CFC Boys") was first begun in 1974 in Olongapo City by the People's Recovery Empowerment and Development Assistance (Preda) Foundation to help youth in conflict with the law in so far as they were abusing proscribed substances. Over the years it expanded it services to street children, children in prisons and jails and to assist sexually abused children and provides a therapeutic home for girls at the same time giving daily public development education and awareness building seminars and workshops to community groups on human rights and child protection.
Implementing R.A. 9344 (April 2006) is the primary goal of the Preda project for youth and children in conflict with the law. The Juvenile justice and Welfare Bill that Preda helped draft and lobby to have passed says among other things that minors 15 below have no criminal liability and those 18 below accused of crimes must have acted with discernment to be criminally liable. Minors accused of a crime must be referred to a Government social worker and the local government unit and then referred to a children's home and never sent to the jail.
The Preda Boys home is not punitive; it is affirmative, encouraging, supportive and educational. It raises the self-worth and self esteem of the youth and gives them a sense of dignity and importance aware of their human and civil rights.
The home differs to government run detention centers it is against all harsh punishment, verbal or psychological abuse and teaches discipline by persuasion, counseling light extra duties, washing dishes, moping floors. The programme of recovery is based on accepting, giving support and affirmation, all needs are provided for; emotional release therapy, spiritual formation, legal assistance, family reunion and family therapy, reintegration vocational training and education according to the needs of the clients. The center is the not for the detention of minors, it s and the open home, no guards, no gates or walls is best. It works for the reintegration of the youth into their families. Family therapy and job creation is very important for reintegration to work. Many other agencies are brought into the process.
The Boys Home project takes legal action to have children released from jails and prisons. It provides an alternative to detention and under the New law R.A. 9344 (which Preda helped draw up and lobbied for its passage) the juvenile justice and Welfare Bill (2006) Preda gives legal assistance to have charges against the youth dismissed or provides a diversion to jail and custodial sentence. While the youth they may serve part of their sentence (or a suspended sentence) at the Preda Home for Boys or reside there while they are awaiting trial.
The Preda centre is an open centre and the boys stay other own free will and there is very few who leave without permission for a home visit. The boys are not kept in cells, handcuffed or restrained, but do participate in formal education, either through the local schools or at daily non-formal education classes Preda. Many of the boys are semiliterate and other supervised activities both on and offsite. The overarching theme is to restore the lost elements of childhood and to provide a system which will avoid further conflict with the law.
The Preda Jail Rescue Team ("JRT") carries out weekly visits to a number of jails and holding cells to investigate if there are any minors being detained in contravention of the new laws, and reports these the to Department of Social Welfare to ensure action on these arrests, frequently resulting in the release of minors to Preda's care.
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