Using Data Analysis to Help Juveniles

ZIZ News — The Ministry of Community Development has embarked on a project geared at helping juveniles in St Kitts and Nevis.

Representatives from that Ministry, along with the Ministry of Health, Education and representatives from the New Horizons Rehabilitation Centre are participating in a workshop on data analysis and use of empirical information to promote effective policy planning workshop and decision making.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Sharon Rattan says effective data can be used to educate the citizenry on issues affecting youths in the federation.

“We are citizens making a responsible contribution when we have data and helping to enlighten our citizenry about the issues and I think that is our role as a Ministry, as we provide services relevant to people’s needs. We need to be able to enlighten the citizenry of what is happening” Rattan said.

OECS Consultant and Workshop Facilitator, Dr Jon Swift added that the whole idea behind this workshop is to provide justice for children who have become in conflict with the law.

Swift noted, “Young people are becoming more violent; what’s the statistics, what was it last year, what is it this year. That’s what we are going to be looking at. How we can use that sort of information to make our policies and our decisions, our plans; whether it be our strategic plans and tie them in to make things better for these young people.”

The Two-Day Policy Planning and Decision Making Workshop are being held at the St Kitts Marriott Resort.

It is also an initiative under the OECS Juvenile Justice Reform Project.