A group of 300 adolescents and their families from the
disadvantaged area of Ciudad Bolivar in the capital city Bogota,
and linked to the Criminal Responsibility System (SRPA by its
Spanish acronym), are receiving support from IOM to avoid
recidivism and to prevent their recruitment by illegal armed
groups.

Over the next two years, adolescents aged 14 to 17, will receive
education, healthcare, nutritional and psychosocial support, as
well as artistic encouragement, and training in citizenship rights
aimed at promoting positive life choices and countering violence
and involvement in criminal activity.

This care and assistance programme is possible thanks to an
agreement worth more than USD 6.5 million, signed between Bogota's
District Secretary for Social Integration, Bogota's Government
Secretary, Artesanías de Colombia, Fundación Escuela
de Artes and Nuevo Circo Ciudad, with financial support from the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
technical assistance from IOM.

"We want to offer young people the opportunity to rebuild their
lives by finding new ways to achieve their goals away from illegal
activities," explains José Ángel Oropeza, IOM Chief
of Mission in Colombia.

According to Bogota's Center for Studies and Analysis on
Coexistence and Citizenship Security (CEACSC), in addition to the
economic, political and social factors that lead teenagers to
criminal activities, other important factors include: weaknesses in
the judicial system, domestic violence, pregnancy and early
parenthood, living in places where drugs are sold and used, school
truancy, and unstructured free time.

According to CEACSC, as of February 2009, a total of 6,849 cases
of criminal activity by adolescents were reported to the SRPA; of
these, 94 per cent were subject to judicial action based on the
ages of the offenders (between 14 and 17). The infractions included
theft (57.4 per cent), possession or trafficking of drugs (16.7 per
cent) and acts of violence (6.2 per cent).

CEACSC has also found that 1,687 juveniles, 92 per cent of them
male, have re-entered the system at least once which corresponds to
a recidivism rate of 25 per cent.

The agreement includes a component for strengthening the
Criminal Responsibility System (SRPA) for juveniles, as well as the
development of technical guidelines for the handling and care of
young offenders in Bogota.

This project is part of an IOM programme working with the
Colombian Family Welfare Institute to support the reintegration of
youngsters de-linked from illegal armed groups. Since beginning in
2001, the USAID funded programme has assisted 4,394 minors.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Colombia

Tel: +571-639-7777

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int