The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$20 million loan to help reduce crime and violence in The Bahamas, targeting at risk youths and strengthening institutional capabilities of the justice system, among other actions.
The Bahamas has seen a steady increase in its crime and violence rates, with a homicide rate of 31.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013. Many victims are young and male, and killed with firearms. Violence is especially acute in the island of New Providence, where the capital, Nassau, is located, with high rates of murders, armed robberies and rapes.
Recent statistics points to a prevalence of violence to solve inter-personal and community disputes, especially among youth. This is occurring in a context of high unemployment rates (30.8 percent in 2014 among 15-24 year olds), slow court systems and high rates of recidivism.
The project is made up of four components.
The first component seeks to improve behaviors for non-violent conflict resolution in New Providence by including differentiated evidence-based interventions to address social norms that promote the acceptance of violence.
The second component aims to help at-risk youth find jobs through training and employability programs.
The third component seeks to strengthen the justice administration system to better prosecute and sentence crimes by including, among other, an integrated electronic system for case management and the introduction of innovative dispute resolutions mechanisms.
The fourth component seeks to better help reintegrate offenders to society through activities such as the design and implementation of a comprehensive rehabilitation model and a curriculum built on evidence-based practices.
The IDB loan has a 25-year amortization period and is based on the LIBOR rate.
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The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source oflong-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean.The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.