SCORE

Ivory Coast’s efforts to reintegrate young offenders into the community have been largely unsuccessful. After observing young people locked up all day in the juvenile detention centres with nothing to do, LaBAP approached the authorities about setting up activities that meet international standards aimed at helping the detainees prepare for reintegration.

The SCORE project targets young people, especially girls, in the Abidjan, Bouaké and Man juvenile detention centres. The detainees, mostly boys, are aged between 12 and 17 and have usually been sentenced to 3–6 months, although some end up being detained for longer or have been given longer sentences. The turnover of detainees is high, with the population changing almost daily – every 18 months, at least 220 minors pass through the three centres.

Project content

LaBAP’s programmes are inspired by the fundamental principles of sport and recognise sport as a driver of social change, education and development. It provides young offenders with an escape from daily life in detention and promotes cooperation, solidarity, tolerance, understanding, social inclusion and health. Combined with other activities, such as vocational and literacy training, sport is a first step towards their reintegration.

Objectives

• Help juveniles to reintegrate socially and professionally through training and support.
• Create social cohesion between juveniles in detention and society through sport.

Project activities

• Developing sports programmes for juveniles in detention (weekly football training and introductory sessions).
• Sports events with outside teams.
• Celebration and media coverage of human rights days.
• Providing materials and logistical support to the centres’ literacy programmes.
• Practical training in income-generating activities.

Expected results

• 324 weekly football training sessions and 18 introductory sessions giving juveniles in detention a place of freedom where the harmful effects of detention can be counteracted.
• Three detention centres will have a suitable area and the equipment needed for playing sports.
• Events will provide opportunities for socialisation and for society to change the way it views young offenders: 12 events with outside teams providing interaction with 120 external players and 3 gala matches.
• All detainees will have access to high-quality, inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities and 20 detainees will be registered for exams.
• 6 tables and 120 benches/chairs will be provided or restored and each centre will receive a literacy kit.
• Male and female detainees will acquire skills to help them reintegrate into the workforce: training 20 juveniles in patisserie and 60 juveniles in rabbit farming in Abidjan and Bouaké, 15 juveniles in fish farming in Abidjan, and 30 juveniles in poultry farming in Man.

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