City mulls converting Second Chance into a rehab facility
Since almost all the juvenile offenders at Operation Second Chance have already been released, the city government is now planning to convert the jail facility into a youth home.
She said that because of the passage of the Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice System and Welfare Act in 2006, the number of minor offenders detained at the Operation Second Chance had dropped significantly.
The jail facility was meant to house 200 children but at present it only has around 30 minor inmates after the passage of the law that caused the release of minors below 15 years old.
Margot said the Cebu City Commission on the Welfare of Children has already submitted a proposal and budget for the conversion of the jail facility to be included in the annual investment plan for next year.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo yesterday said that they have already discussed the proposal at the City Council and added that he even volunteered to spearhead the project because “there should be someone who should focus on it.”
“We really need to discuss it so we could allocate funds for the program and works on how to convert it into a rehabilitation center,” Carillo told The Freeman. He said there is need to allocate money for the training of the personnel to be assigned there and to fund some modifications in the facility.
From a jail facility, he said the concept would be changed into a youth home where minors who are in conflict with the law would undergo rehabilitation. He, however, said part of the area would still remain to be a jail facility but some portions would be converted into a rehabilitation area.
Specifically, Carillo said that their targets are those youths who are considered constant law breakers. “Their parents could file a petition for their detention,” he added.
He said that the target for the project’s implementation is next year because there is still need to study it especially in terms of budget. — Wenna A. Berondo/QSB
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