UPON entering office, President David Granger offered amnesty to some 70 youths in the penal system accused of petty crimes; and while those youths were released some weeks ago, United States Charge d’ Affaires, Mr Bryan Hunt, disclosed that 40 of those youths are currently involved in the Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) programme.

The website of the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown said, “The USAID SKYE Project is working with at-risk youth between the ages of 15 (and) 24. They are mainly males, who are school dropouts, youth who completed formal education but do not have the necessary skills to find employment, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system.”

Speaking at a reception at Guyana’s Marriott Hotel in Kingston on Thursday evening, Hunt gave assurance that the Embassy remains committed to the programme, which exists in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Our mutually beneficial goal is to reduce youth crime and violence by development-enhanced skills and increased economic opportunities,” Hunt said, while adding that the programme aims to “deter and reduce youth involvement in crime and violence.”

To this end, Hunt said, the partners have collaborated with Guyana’s Magistracy and the Probation Department of the Social Protection Ministry to ensure that alternative sentencing was given to more than 70 youth, thus diverting them from incarceration and into receiving support to reform their lives.

On a high note of the project, Hunt declared, “Over 1600 youth have been linked to long-term employment. Our work to empower youth and support improvement of their lives through this program continues, partnering with government, private sector, and the non-governmental community to achieve objectives.”

Meanwhile, Vice-President and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, invited by this publication to comment last June, plugged the need for long-term solutions to rehabilitating and reforming at-risk youth.

Ramjattan said that while the Government has no rehabilitation centres, the Cabinet would have to work out financing for a facility of that nature, as well as other particulars, including the employment of staff and cases to be admitted.

Ramjattan also disclosed that there are rehab centres privately owned or controlled by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) all across Guyana, but he is considering the option of a state-sponsored rehabilitation centre.

By Derwayne Wills