The Department of Correctional Services has highlighted the need for new juvenile centres, designed for the purpose of rehabilitation, to be constructed.

Commissioner of corrections, retired Lieutenant Colonel Gary Rowe, made the comment, while addressing parliament‘s human resource and social development committee on Wednesday.

The poor conditions of current juvenile facilities was pointed out in a recent assessment and report, which stressed that none of the facilities were meant to be used as correctional centres; and that the structures are old, with some of them built as far back as the 1980‘s.

The report further indicted that the electrical and plumbing networks in most of the buildings are in disrepair due largely to the passage of time and to tampering, mostly by the boys.

It showed that additional dormitory spaces are required to effectively separate younger children from older ones for protection from abuse, for disciplinary purposes, health and other reasons.

Mr Rowe noted that the poor state of the buildings makes it difficult to effectively deliver rehabilitation programmes.

He said some corrective steps have already been taken, at the Rio Cobre facility.