Correctional chaplain links absent fathers to juvenile offending in Jamaica

Correctional chaplain Reverend Dwayne Nelson is calling on Jamaican men to become more present in the lives of young people, saying discussions with juveniles in custody show father absence plays a major role in offending and behavioural difficulties.

Nelson, who serves with the Department of Correctional Services, said fatherlessness is among the strongest cross-demographic predictors of juvenile delinquency and future imprisonment. He pointed to studies carried out in the Caribbean, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which found that children experiencing father absence are 11 times more likely to display violent behaviour, nine times more likely to join gangs, nine times more likely to run away and become victims or perpetrators of crime, and six times more likely to end up in prison.

At the institution where he ministers, Nelson said 30 per cent of wards disclosed fatherlessness during talks with him. Several told him they would not be in custody if their fathers had been involved in their upbringing. He praised rehabilitation efforts within the correctional system, including vocational training, academic programmes, and chaplaincy services that offer counselling, Bible study, and spiritual support. Even so, he urged men in every community to mentor youths and provide the fatherly guidance many wards say they lack.

Quoting evangelist Billy Graham, Nelson said, "A good father is unsung, unpraised, unnoticed but yet still one of the most valuable asset in our society." He added that although fathers often receive less public recognition than mothers, their role remains vital to steering young people away from crime and violence.

Police reported separate enforcement actions on Sunday, June 21. In Clarendon, officers conducting a targeted operation in the communities of House Content and Yorktown recovered a black CG9 9mm pistol with its serial number obscured. The unloaded firearm was found with six 9mm rounds concealed at the rear of a premises. Further searches nearby turned up ganja, two Browning pistol magazines, .38-calibre rounds hidden in a bag of cornmeal, one 12-gauge cartridge, one 7.62 mm round, and a mobile phone. Several men were taken into custody.

In downtown Kingston, police from the Central Operation Support Team responded around 6:25 a.m. to reports of a robbery at the intersection of Orange and Barry streets. Officers said a man was trying to dispose of a yellow bucket and attempted to flee when he saw them. He was quickly apprehended. A Browning 9mm pistol was found hidden in the bucket, along with items believed stolen, including a cellphone. He was arrested and taken to a police station pending further investigation.

Separately, 55-year-old security officer Terrence Austin has been charged with larceny as a servant in connection with the alleged theft of more than $2 million from an automated teller machine at a financial institution in St. Andrew. Police said the institution discovered discrepancies on Friday, May 29 involving cash it had reportedly not received since January 29. Representatives of the contracted security company were alerted, and an internal probe allegedly found that Austin, who was assigned to service the ATM and check-deposit vault, removed $2,045,300. Police said the incident was captured on closed-circuit television cameras inside the ATM area. The matter was reported to police on June 11, and detectives from the St. Andrew Central Division carried out further inquiries. Austin was later arrested and reportedly gave a caution statement in the presence of his attorney. His court date is being finalised.