(11 October 2007) Some 70% of adults jailed in Argentina had had a brush with the law as a youth or spent time in an institution or foster home for victims of violence or abandonment. This is the cycle that the judicial system of La Plata, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, aims to break with its innovative programme to support the social reinsertion of juvenile law-breakers. Of the 1,190 youths who have participated in this project, just four have committed a new offense. The remainder have returned to school, found employment or otherwise integrated themselves into society in a positive fashion.
The virtual forum, entitled Social Inclusion of Youths in Freedom: An Innovative Alternative to the Traditional Model of Incarceration" will be held on Wednesday, 17 October, (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Chilean time, and 14:00 to 22:00 hours GMT), organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights and UNICEF.
During the session, participants will analyze the Support System for Teen Offenders, second prize-winner of the 2005-2006 round of the "Experiences in Social Innovation," competition organized by ECLAC and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
This programme works with teen law-breakers and youths at risk who have lost family and social ties after periods of reclusion. It provides them with a stipend for living expenses and assigns a case worker to accompany them in the task of taking responsibility for their lives.
This model of attention is financed through a mechanism that avoids duplication by combining public funds earmarked for justice, health, education and job training, at a cost significantly lower than that of jailing a young offender.
It's easy to participate in this virtual forum. To ask questions or contribute comments, simply enter the site http://www.risalc.org/ and click on the link "foros virtuales." Moderating the debate will be Verónica Canale, Deputy Secretary of the General Attorney's Office of the Supreme Court of the Province of Buenos Aires, in charge of the support programme, and María Elisa Bernal, coordinator of the ECLAC/Kellogg competition.
This virtual forum is being conducted by ECLAC through the Network of Social Institutions for Latin America and the Caribbean (known by its Spanish acronym RISALC). Supporting documents include an analysis of the project and UN and ECLAC studies on this topic.
For additional information and help with any technical problems, contact: Marco Ortega, at ECLAC, phone: (56 2) 210 2272 or e-mail: marco.ortega
cepal.org.
