Eastern Regional Juvenile Home not operational

Koforidua, March 4, GNA - The Juvenile home in

Koforidua serving the whole of the Eastern Region has not

been operational for two years now due to the breakdown of

facilities at the place. Mr Andrew Owusu Mensah, Programme Head for Justice

Administration of the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in

the Region, revealed this to the GNA after a review meeting on

preventing and combating all forms of violence against

juveniles who fall in conflict with the law in justice institutions. He said the department was forced to close down the home

because juveniles brought there more often absconded due to

the break down of the main gate at the entrance of the home. The meeting was organized by Passionate Care

International in collaboration with Ghana NGO Coalition on

the Rights of the Child and Plan Ghana, with funding from the

European Union. Participants were drawn from the Judicial Service,

Department of Social Welfare, Police Service, Prison Services

and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice

(CHRAJ). Earlier in a report, Mr Mensah noted that the DSW had

offices in all the 21 Municipal and District Assemblies in the

region with the exception of Akyemmansa. He said officers as part of their duties visited the police

regularly to ascertain for themselves whether there were

juveniles in their cells. Mr Mensah noted with regret that all juvenile courts in

the region with the exception of Akyemmansa and Yilo Krobo

Districts had not been properly empanelled since August 2010. He said that situation arose as a result of a directive from

the Chief Justice for personnel above 65 years to be

withdrawn. Mr Mensah therefore called on the Chief Justice to take

a second look at that directive since it was greatly affecting the

dispensation of justice as cases kept piling in some courts. DSP Mrs Eunice Annor, Regional DOVVSU

Commander, stated that from September 2010, the Police

Ladies Association (POLAS), had built modern juvenile and

female cells at the Regional headquarters and handed them

over to DOVVSU to improve upon the juvenile justice system. She called for total commitment of all stakeholders

towards juvenile justice and appealed to the government to

provide all necessary logistics and infrastructure for

institutions that rendered juvenile justice administration. Ms Gloria Anyasombe from the Judicial Service, observed

that instead of remanding juveniles, they were now being

remitted on bail to their parents or guardians, adding that the

procedure had reduced the unpleasant encounters they were

having.