“Today, we as a government affirm our commitment to rehabilitation over punishment, mentorship over neglect, and opportunity over despair,” said Minister of Social and Urban Transformation Rawdon Turner at Monday’s reopening and rebranding ceremony of the Boys Training School.
The facility, now renamed the Denis Bowers Rehabilitation Centre (DBRC), will hold approximately eight boys and will serve as a space to rehabilitate not only boys who run afoul of the law but also boys whose parents struggle no longer can control their behaviour.
“Every young man who walks through these doors deserves a chance to turn his life around,” Minister Turner told attendees at the ceremony. “With the right guidance and support, we believe they can grow into responsible productive members of our society.”
The centre was named after the longest serving principal of the facility, Denis George Bowers, OM who served from 1969 to 1992, and which flourished under his stewardship, including forming its own Scout Troop and a Marching Band of approximately 20 boys.
With family members present during the ceremony, Bowers was described by Deputy Director of the DBRC Janet Alexis as “a visionary leader, an advocate who dedicated his life to the rehabilitation and empowerment of vulnerable youth.
“Bowers’ work in the community and restorative justice laid the foundation for our centre,” Alexis explained. Bowers’ holistic approach was inspired by his relentless pursuit of social equity … we continue to expand on his vision ensuring that every young person, every young man who steps foot in this institution has the opportunity for redemption and growth,” she noted.
Director of Family and Social Services, Fiona Charles Richards, described the facility as more than just a physical space.
“This facility is more than walls and rules. It is a space of renewal where our young men will be given tools to heal, to build resilience, and to emerge not just as rehabilitated individuals, but as role models and contributing members of our society,” Director Richards said.
She added that the centre embodied the idea that “he who opens a school door closes a prison”, standing as “a beacon of education, skill building and reintegration, ensuring that those who pass through these doors leave equipped with knowledge, purpose and opportunity, rather than the burden of their past mistakes.”
Minister of Health Sir Molwyn Joseph explained that it was important for the facility to serve as a symbol for investing in youth.
“We were not simply constructing a building; we were laying the groundwork for rehabilitation, education and a second chance in life,” Sir Molwyn said. “Too often in society, when young people make mistakes, the first response is to punish rather than to guide.”
Sir Molwyn outlined that rehabilitation at the centre will be carried out through four major avenues: behavioural therapy, education, family support, and vocational training.
“These youths will mature into young adults who will then become men who will hold the tight responsibility of fathering another generation of youths. Simply put, they are, quite literally, the future of our nation and our greatest investment,” he emphasized.
Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and other government ministers, including Minister of Housing Maria Browne, Minister of Education Daryll Matthew were also present
The facility has three main buildings — the dormitories, the administrative building and the mess hall.
The Rotary Club of Antigua and Barbuda, in collaboration with the Bellevue Breakfast Club Rotary Club of Washington, donated 25 laptops, two fully equipped computers, and a projector screen.
“I want to urge that some of the residents who will occupy this institution take note of the world today; it’s all about AI and technology,” said Paul Ryan from the Rotary Club as he delivered the laptops on behalf of the service organisation.
Observer media spoke to Master Chief Joseph, head of security at the facility, about the centre’s security considering past break-ins at the former Boys Training School.
“We presently have at least 13 different cameras around this whole facility set up … [and] every building has at least four cameras,” he explained.
He added that the facility has magnetic emergency doors and windows secured with burglar bars.
Minister Turner, in his remarks, stated that “Every child deserves a champion…an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.
“What I am asking us today here as adults is to be the champion of the children of our nation and to ensure that they are set on the right path forward in life,” he said.
