The Boys Training Centre (BTC), which is located at Massade in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, provides general residential as well as specialized treatment services for two categories of male juveniles, namely, Juvenile Offenders and Juveniles In Need of Care & Protection. The juveniles who are placed at BTC are wards of the State, and can only be placed at the institution through a formal commitment or
der of the Family Court. Foremost among the responsibilities of BTC is to provide a safe and secure environment for these wards of the State and to fulfill a multitude of tasks geared towards guiding them towards rehabilitation and successful reintegration into their respective households and communities. BTC seeks to help such juveniles become productive law-abiding citizens, who are equipped with the requisite skills or education that can enable them to make a positive or honorable contribution to the society in their chosen field. A structured program of activities geared towards rehabilitation and reintegration into the community is provided for wards of the institution. The programs include A) Skills/Vocational Development/Training, B) Auto-Mechanic/Welding, C) Carpentry/Joinery (Woodwork), D) Agriculture, E) Remedial Education. On average, approximately fifty percent (50%) of the wards of BTC continue as enrolled students in the formal school system throughout their placement time at the institution. However, for various reasons, the other fifty percent (50%) remain at the institution during the normal course of each day where they participate in the programs noted above. Additional services provided to the wards of BTC include Sports & Recreational opportunities and a viable Music Program. Professional Counselling Services in the form of individual case management as well as group counselling is provided in-house for all wards of the institution. An After-care program that seeks to provide follow-up support to wards for a two-year period after they leave BTC also exists. HISTORY OF THE AGENCY
The institution was the brainchild of Sir Stanislaus James, who is regarded as the first trained Social Worker and Probation Officer in Saint Lucia. It was officially opened by Her Royal Highness, Princess Margaret, on February 20, 1960. At the time of its opening it was known as the Boys Industrial School. It housed seventeen (17) juveniles and had a staff complement of three. On the recommendation of a Government appointed consultant, the institution was temporarily closed in 1974, following which it reopened in 1976 after a period of eighteen months. It reopened with the new name—Boys Training Centre, and the accompanying Statutory Rules and Orders, 1976, No. 23, as the official mandates that would guide its daily functioning.
