IDB funding will help Government address crime prevention, youth employment and other priority areas
January 26, 2016 – Nassau, The Bahamas – Tomorrow, the House of Assembly will debate a resolution of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The loan, which was first introduced in the 2015 Budget, will help address major issues in The Bahamas, including crime prevention, youth employment, strengthening the justice administration system, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.
“This funding being provided by the IDB will help us address some of the most pressing issues facing our nation, first and foremost crime,” said Prime Minister Christie. “We are looking at this issue from a holistic perspective, taking into consideration all aspects that can influence criminal behaviour. That is why we are fulfilling our commitment to invest new funding towards crime prevention, justice system strengthening and rehabilitation. I encourage everyone to be supportive of this resolution so we can continue striving for a safer Bahamas.”
The Citizen Security and Justice Programme seeks to reduce crime and violence in The Bahamas through a comprehensive approach that takes into account the multi-causal nature of the problem. Therefore, the programme includes a combination of social preventive strategies and institutional strengthening of relevant agencies. The program consists of four components:
1 – Social crime and violence prevention in New Providence ($4.8 million) which seeks to improve behaviours for non-violent conflict resolution in New Providence and includes evidence-based interventions (delivered in association with local NGOs, schools, and others local partners) in order to prevent violence in some of The Bahamas’ most troublesome communities.
2 – Youth employability, employment training and strengthening of the Public Employment Services ($4 million) which aims to increase employability and employment among at-risk youth in The Bahamas (15-29 years old).
3 – Strengthening of the justice administration system ($5.5 million) which seeks to address inefficiencies of the justice administration system to prosecute and sentence crimes successfully and in a timely manner.
4 – Rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders ($3.3 million) which aims to improve the effectiveness of the Bahamian correctional services in reducing reoffenders.
The Citizen Security and Justice Programme also reinforces the ongoing work being undertaken by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Office of the Attorney General to strengthen the Swift Justice Programme, which has seen widespread success in improving efficiencies in the administration of justice. These developments are helping the country move towards a safer and Stronger Bahamas.
