This is the tool with which the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare seeks to reduce the recidivism of adolescent crime

Recidivism in the Adolescent Criminal Responsibility System (SRPA) is 19.9%. This means that one in five adolescents, out of 8,400 in the system, is prone to re-offending in criminal activity. The situation has set off the alarm bells of the Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), an entity that in its work to protect the integrity of these young people, has launched a new plan.

This is the implementation of the GIRA tool (Management for the Identification of Risks and Opportunities in Sanctioned Adolescents and Young People), which, through a methodology to be implemented by the SRPA care teams, seeks through profiling, to identify risk factors and opportunities for case management individual. Thus, factors such as the socio-economic context, the level of schooling, the psychological profile, the measurement of the consumption of psychoactive substances, the family environment, among others, are decisive for the design of an individual 'tailor-made' plan that will allow the restorative intervention of each minor.

“This tool will not only serve the ICBF and its care processes, but it will also allow the other entities of the Coordination System to have relevant information to more efficiently program their offer and program the resources necessary to transform the risks of adolescents and young people in the SRPA according to their mission”, said Lina Arbeláez, director of ICBF.

But it's not just about accumulating data. The tool also allows monitoring the evolution of each case from a protective, educational and restorative logic. In order to provide adolescents with the timely attention they deserve and carry out actions that help prevent further criminal acts, Arbeláez also highlighted the importance of this new implementation for the future of these young people.

“This tool and its methodological design reflect the standards of care in various Juvenile Justice Systems, where it was identified that “Management and Assessment of the Risk of Recidivism” is the most promising and efficient model for dealing with adolescents and young people in conflict with criminal law,” he said.

It should be noted that the implementation of this tool will allow the creation of a common language and guide the efforts of the different actors of the SRPA, since it is believed that for the implementation to be successful, all those involved — who have direct contact with adolescents and young people and those who do not — must be aligned.

Finally, the model, which has an investment of about $4.1 billion and will be implemented in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will be present in 12 departments (Antioquia, Atlántico, Bogotá, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Quindío, Risaralda and Santander).

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