Youth Program Manager: Three B.D.F. Soldiers at the Facility Add to the Problem

B.D.F Captain (Retired) William Swan

Swan said they are trying to keep the troubled youths separated and the one who has now expressed an interest in reforming his life is in isolation until he can show he is serious.  Nonetheless, there is another issue that the managers of the facility want addressed. Swan said that they have asked the Belize Defense Force to replace three of the soldiers who are placed there on rotation because they compound the problem.

B.D.F Captain (Retired) William Swan, Manager, Mountain Pine Ridge Youth Challenge Program

“We had a meeting, and while that meeting was on, some of the BDF – the information we get back – were taking pictures and videoing and send it out to other people. And that was totally wrong because they didn’t even – like how you just asked me to for request that and told me you having me recorded. You get permission before you do. They should have done the same and they didn’t do that. And it’s a serious situation because we have a program, we’re trying to work with young people and people leaking out secret that we are trying to fix on mend. That is totally not the thing. The team effort is not there and that could cause things to really blow outta order. Like some people, I get to understand (they said) “they put that the kids to eat beans and tortilla.” I asked the question: something wrong with eat beans and tortilla, right? And that da nuh weh dehn di eat. Dehn mek it sound like that’s all dehn di give dehn all day. The meal is just like you’re at your house, we eat everything. And no staff, no BDF, the civilian staff, the Department of Youth Service staff, the young men, everybody eat the same, same thing.”