Project profile — Justice for Minors Detained in the Rehabilitation Center and the Civilian Prison in Haiti

The purpose of this project is to improve the response to the violation of rights of minors (girls and boys) who are in trouble with the law and to improve the response to the social reintegration of minors detained at rehabilitation centres and the Cabaret civile prison. Young people are the future of Haiti, as they make up roughly half of the population and are key to the country’s future development and stability. Unfortunately, there is a high level of youth in extended preventive custody and a heavy reliance on detention, owing to a lack of alternative measures. This project aims to reduce the negative influences minors may encounter upon entry and release from prisons and rehabilitation centres because the poor social reintegration of youth is a factor that could lead to instability and social problems. Project activities include: (1) the set-up and update of a database on individual psychosocial history; (2) the implementation of activities and the provision of psychosocial assistance; (3) a survey is to be conducted on the labour market in the metropolitan Port-au-Prince area, which will more readily lead to jobs for youth; (4) the provision of internal and external training; (5) a survey is to be conducted on the prison situation of minors; (6) the implementation of life plans in keeping with the aspirations of minors; (7) the facilitation of the reintegration of minors in trouble with the law with their families and communities.

The expected outcome of the project is the reduced rate of recidivism of minors in trouble with the law who enter and are released from the rehabilitation centre (boys) and the Cabaret prison (girls) in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (July 2019) include: (1) a lower percentage of recidivism of the 151 minors of both sexes released from the rehabilitation centre (boys) and the women’s prison in Cabaret of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area was noted. Since the beginning of the project only 2 out of the 151 minors released (1.3%) have relapsed into crime; (2) sensitization of communities of the reintegrated minors' on the importance of not to stigmatizing them was conducted; (3) individual and/or group psychological support was provided to 225 (16 girls / 209 boys) detained minors; (4) vocational training was provided to 200 (16 girls / 184 boys) detained minors; and (5) some of the minors' families were retraced; and (5) support was provided to improve released minors’ abilities to reintegrate society. These factors contributed to reducing recidivism of released minors of both sexes.