With young people making up about 75% of the inmates in the country’s prison system, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster says “innovative” solutions are needed to steer young boys and men away from crime and towards education and skills training.
The issue of a large percentage of youth making up the prison population is not a situation that is unique to Guyana alone but it faces the entire Caribbean region, according to Webster, who said a Juvenile Offenders Bill, which has been prepared by UNICEF, may also be useful in addressing the problem here.
Webster said that the draft bill is presently at the Attorney General’s Chambers. She did not say how long the