At the summit of a quiet hill in Massade, Saint Lucia, the Boys Training Centre (BTC) stands as a facility dedicated to rehabilitating and reintegrating young boys.
From Manager Leanna Wallace’s office, the surrounding landscape is serene, a stark contrast to the institution’s troubled public perception. A corner of her office is lined with trophies: silent testaments to the boys’ successes in sports and other competitions, achievements often overshadowed by darker headlines.
The centre’s reputation suffered a blow in January 2023 when a 15-year-old who had absconded from the facility was charged with the murder of a 78-year-old woman. The case sparked national outrage and prompted swift government action.
The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment launched a review of the centre’s management, staffing and security. “We will also be looking at the suitability of persons working there,” Minister Joachim Henry told a press conference at the time. Still, he emphasised that the goal was not to “police” the boys but to ensure safety for them and the community.
Since then, leadership at the centre has changed. Wallace now oversees the facility, determined to reshape its narrative.
Addressing the stigma
Wallace is acutely aware of the stigma surrounding BTC.
“If we go to the Bordelais Correctional Facility today,” she says, “wouldn’t you get [past students] from St Joseph’s Convent, St Mary’s College, and every single secondary school that exists in Saint Lucia? Yes! You’ll get past lawyers, teachers, ministers…. You don’t hear people say ‘past Castries Comprehensive Student is now a prisoner at Bordelais’… but when it’s a BTC child, the first thing is ‘former BTC ward’; that’s not nice.”
The label is deeply entrenched, she adds, and the boys feel its weight. BTC houses both boys in care and protection – victims of abuse or neglect – and those in conflict with the law. Though separated, the association affects them all.
“You have children going to school who feel embarrassed because they live here,” Wallace says. Schoolmates see them stepping off the BTC bus and whisper, ‘All the fellas over there kill the kids….’ You make them feel bad.”
Welding instructor Vincent Samuel, a 25-year veteran at BTC, echoes her frustration.
“The public does have the wrong concept of BTC,” he says. “This is not a prison. It’s a rehabilitation institution. We basically teach the boys skills to prepare them to give back to society. Because they are here, and based on the reasons they are here, people believe that they’re just incarcerated and have been dumped in a hole and nothing has been done.”
Samuel has watched dozens of boys transform their lives. Some now run welding, auto-mechanic or woodworking shops, while others hold steady jobs. Their successes, however, rarely make headlines.
Facilitating transformation
According to Minister Henry, the centre has ramped up staff training over the past year. During a recent parliamentary debate on the Appropriation Bill, he reported progress: 65 per cent of staff have received training, with 60 per cent specifically trained in positive youth development and trauma-informed approaches.
“Incidents of absenteeism have decreased significantly,” he said.
Tristan James, 29, a former public school teacher who joined BTC four years ago, finds the work deeply rewarding. “We have to try our best to get them in a programme which they’re interested in, [and] try to help them with reading because most of them probably have dropped out [of school] or their parents are unable to pay school fees.”
Yet challenges remain.
“We don’t have enough resources to do what we want,” Tristan admits. He hopes for smart classrooms, already under discussion, more reading material, and specialised training for boys with autism or ADHD.
Looking to the future
Reform efforts continue. Forty per cent of BTC’s current population is preparing for the TVET CVQ (Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Caribbean Vocational Qualification) examination in welding, a recognised regional standard. Additionally, 18 boys have received support through the centre’s aftercare programme, which offers psychosocial and economic assistance post-release.
“Eighty-three per cent of the aftercare boys were exemplary citizens of Saint Lucia and are thriving,” Henry reported. “The remaining 17 per cent did not do as well as we would have liked them to.”
The current budget allocates $167 000 to BTC for roof repairs, fencing and structural upgrades – measures aimed at improving security and preventing absconding. However, the ministry has a larger vision: relocating BTC to the refurbished George Charles Secondary School site, transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility serving a broader youth population. Funding is pending, but Henry confirmed discussions with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) are underway.
Healing the family to help the child
For Wallace and her team, rehabilitation extends beyond the centre’s walls. She stresses that many boys’ struggles stem from fractured family environments, making parental involvement critical.
“That’s why we try to focus highly on family…[and] family group counselling,” she says. Without addressing household trauma, the cycle often repeats. Many of the boys’ parents endured similar hardships.
Even the best-run facility, Wallace notes, can’t always offset what awaits these boys outside.
