Churches encouraged to work with troubled youth

Local churches are being called upon to work in conjunction with the courts to assist troubled youth who wish to turn their lives around.

The call came recently from Samuel Hackett, President of the Island Constables Association. Hackett, who provides security for magistrates operating in the court and who also worked alongside former magistrate Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell – who has now been appointed as a temporary judge – in establishing the Court Positive Youth Intervention Programme, says churches can play a role by providing personnel who can engage and assist youth passing through the programme, by opening their doors to them and showing them a different way of
living.

Hackett, who is a member of the Men’s Fellowship at the Berea Seventh-Day Adventist Church in St. Joseph, was key in organising a Special Thanksgiving Service for the temporary judge recently. He noted that though Smith-Bovell no longer operates at the court in St. Joseph, the programme is still ongoing.

He added that he will be having discussions with his own church as the year 2020 opens to see how members can play a greater role in the programme.

Meanwhile, Hackett revealed that a number of magistrates have gone out into the community to speak with youngsters, to steer them away from a life of crime and delinquency. Even at Berea, work has been ongoing and a number of youth have been assisted to date.

“Right now we have a youngster who plays water polo for Barbados. We have other youngsters who were giving trouble. We have one who is now involved in Pathfinders and he has turned his life around and he (comes to church).

“So the motivation behind this pilot programme that we are doing in the court system, is to try to stop young people from going to jail. So we came up with plans and ideas of what we should do to help the people in the district and actually, it is working out very fine. It is not only for the St. Joseph district alone,” he further explained.

Noting that he has been involved in setting up appointments for troubled youth and their parents with magistrates in chambers rather than in open court, Hackett suggested that there are many more who can be helped, if there are churches and persons in the community willing to also assist.

“The drugs and the other negative things, that is what we are trying to keep them away from and we have to work very hard in society. So if we can get every church in Barbados involved with this programme, we would have a better Barbados because the youth wouldn’t have the time to go out there and do what they want to do,” Hackett stated.
(RSM)