The Counselling And Psychological Services (CAPS) coordinates and brings together the formal and informal juvenile justice constituents in the rehabilitation of the juvenile offender and youths at risk. It works out programmes for juveniles and their families with an emphasis to re-integrate the juvenile back to his/her family and community in line with the Restorative Justice Model adopted by the Juvenile Justice System.
Personal and specialised attention is paid to each juvenile offender, his character, his family and environment for a holistic approach to rehabilitation. In addition, CAPS, in its planning of restorative programmes also looks at the larger issue of educating the general public and community on pertinent issues, which underscore delinquency and crime recidivism.
Programmes established should teach juvenile delinquents and offenders basic life skills and afford them employability and self-sustenance without resorting to crime. In addition, the juvenile's family and community of care should be targeted as well. Thus, the Juvenile Court, CAPS and its constituent stakeholders actively seek to tap all available community resources as meaningful options that target the underlying causes of delinquency, resulting in meaningful re-orientation of values and eroding causes of recidivism. The approach would be able to equip young offenders and delinquents with the resources and life skills to embark on more constructive lifestyles.
The programmes of the Juvenile Court and CAPS can be broadly divided into three categories:
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