MALE President calls for Juvenile Centre amid rising crime in BVI

President of Mentoring Anointed Leaders Everywhere (MALE), Henderson Tittle, is calling for the establishment of a juvenile detention and rehabilitation centre in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to help steer troubled young men away from a life of crime.

In an interview with BVI News, Tittle emphasized the urgent need for such an institution, noting that young offenders are currently sent directly to His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in Balsam Ghut, where they are housed alongside adult criminals.

“There is no established juvenile detention centre here in the community,” Tittle stated. “There needs to be a place where it is mandatory for boys to go when they get in trouble at school or commit crimes before they are sent off to Balsam Ghut with all the grown men up there. It should be a place where they can earn a certificate and learn a skill or trade.”

Tittle expressed his commitment to advocating for the initiative within the BVI community, further highlighting the lack of institutions catering to young men struggling with drug addiction and mental illness. He stressed that crime among youth is often driven by deeper issues such as substance abuse and unemployment, which need to be addressed through structured intervention.