L.I.U. Volunteer Says S.O.E. Program Looked at Assisting Prisoners

The State of Emergency has expired and over one hundred young men and women who were swept up in the operation are now back at home with their families. From June twenty-fourth to just a few days ago, the prisoners spent the past ninety days in programs to discourage them from returning to the same life. They were picked up from areas of Belize City and the Cayo District, including Cotton Tree Village, and Another World in Roaring Creek Village. Volunteer with the Leadership Intervention Gang, Raymond “Footie” Gongora was a part of the program.

 

Raymond “Footie” Gongora, Volunteer, L.I.U

“We really needed to see what was the problem and why these guys keep doing what they’re doing and really coming back and forth. And we find out there was a lot of trauma in a lot of their lives. Things happen where it’s not dealt with none at all and it’s dealt with streetwise.”

 

 

Marion Ali

“Some of them say they had gainful employment, they were working for a living, maintain their families, sustaining their children. Now they’re back out on the streets with no job, no way to maintain their kids. What happens now? Will there be some assistance given to them, to their families for them to help them sustain their kids or to get back employment?”

 

Raymond Gongora

“All right, as it is, while they were there, the L.I.U., the head and the L.I.U. officers went to see them, each one of them individually, see what were their needs coming back out, see who all had kids, who needed help with their kids going back to school and who are part of the L.I.U. working program come on back. They had checks for them – who were working with the L.I.U. Some of the wives, and so went and received it and coming out back now, the L.I.U. is working back with them, having them come in and see where we go from there, nuh.”