Caribbean Net News: Suriname to introduce alternative punishment

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: The Ministry of Justice and Police in Suriname is preparing amendments to the Criminal Code in order to introduce alternative punishment for criminal youths. Justice Minister, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, disclosed Thursday that he will submit the new legislation next year to parliament.

Prior to the coming into force of this law, a pilot project was launched Thursday to enforce alternative punishment on a selected group of teens who have committed minor offences. After a year the results of this pilot project by a multi-disciplinary taskforce will be evaluated.

The minister informed that delinquents could choose whether they go to jail or enroll in the programme either to receive training and education or be employed in non-profit institutions such as state-owned elderly homes and hospitals. The project is aimed at teaching delinquents skills and preparing them to participate again in society. �There is one condition. Those who don�t cooperate will go to jail,� the minister warned.

Beside the Ministry of Justice and Police, the Prosecutor�s Office, the Suriname Police Force, and the Judicial Department for Child Protection and the Foundation Welfare Institute Nickerie are also involved. The University of Suriname is monitoring the project. The stakeholders signed a cooperation agreement Thursday, while the Suriname Water Supply Company and the Ashiana Elderly Home will facilitate the youths who will participate in the program.

According to Jimmy Kasdipowidjojo of the taskforce, the alternative punishment will substitute imprisonment. He argued that if an individual commits a crime, society expects a jail term for that person. And since, imprisonment is out of the picture with the introduction of alternative punishment, the people have to be informed properly to bring about a cultural mind shift.

For the one-year pilot project a small group of criminal youths is being selected he further disclosed. They will receive individual and group counselling while participating in the programme. Justice Minister Santokhi stated that successful implementation of the new policy will ultimately result in fewer adolescents in the prisons, which according to him are currently a breeding ground where youths are being trained to become hardened criminals by incarcerated die-hard criminals.

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