READ BELOW THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS:
The Ministry of Home Affairs refers to a news report broadcast by 9Newsbreak on Monday, 7 September 2026, in which Member of Parliament Ms. Coretta McDonald made several statements regarding conditions at the “Juvenile Detention Facility”.
The Ministry considers it necessary, in the public interest, to correct the many inaccuracies contained in the report and to place the relevant facts on public record.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Juvenile Holding Centre is a facility designated for the accommodation of children in conflict with the law who have been remanded by Order of the Court. Children are not placed at or referred to the Juvenile Holding Centre by the Childcare and Protection Agency.
The Ministry further states as follows:
1. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬
The Juvenile Holding Centre operates under established security and supervisory protocols designed to ensure the safety of the public, staff and juveniles accommodated at the facility. Juveniles remanded to the Centre are not permitted to leave the premises without appropriate authorization and supervision. Access to and departure from the facility are strictly controlled.
2. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬
The operation of the Juvenile Holding Centre is guided by the provisions and underlying principles of the Juvenile Justice Act 2018, together with Guyana’s applicable international obligations concerning the rights and welfare of children, including those arising under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Consistent with those obligations, the Centre places particular emphasis on the custody, rehabilitation, education, health and welfare of juveniles placed in its care.
3. 𝐑𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐬
In furtherance of the rehabilitative and reintegrative objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act 2018, juveniles at the Centre are afforded access to structured educational, developmental and psychosocial programmes. These include preparation for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), literacy programmes, technical and vocational training, life-skills programmes, trauma-informed therapeutic intervention delivered by a qualified psychologist, psychosocial support provided by certified social workers, and structured recreational activities, including football and chess.
Of particular concern to the Ministry is the public disclosure of information relating to individual juveniles in circumstances capable of identifying them.
The Ministry emphasises that children who come into contact with the juvenile justice system are entitled to statutory safeguards concerning their identity, privacy and dignity. Accordingly, the Ministry will not comment publicly on, confirm or deny, the identity, placement or circumstances of any individual juvenile who is or may be involved in the juvenile justice system.
The publication or dissemination of information concerning a juvenile must be approached with the highest degree of care, particularly where such information is capable, whether directly or indirectly, of identifying the juvenile or disclosing his or her involvement in the juvenile justice system.
The Ministry strongly condemns the dissemination of unverified or inaccurate information concerning the Juvenile Holding Centre and juveniles within the juvenile justice system. Statements of this nature have the potential not only to mislead the public, but also to undermine the statutory safeguards established for the protection of children.
The Ministry therefore urges media organisations and public officials commenting on matters involving juveniles to exercise the requisite degree of responsibility and due diligence and to verify the accuracy of such information with the competent authorities prior to its publication or dissemination.
In the circumstances, the Ministry hereby calls for the immediate retraction and correction of the inaccurate statements contained in the report and a public apology from Ms. Coretta McDonald in respect of the statements made.
The Ministry remains committed to the proper administration of the juvenile justice system and to safeguarding the rights, welfare, privacy and dignity of every child who comes into contact with that system.
