Officials of the Youth Transformation and Rehabilitation Center (YTRC) say that sport plays a vital role in rehabilitation, and crime reduction in Trinidad and Tobago.
Acting Commissioner of Prisons, Carlos Corraspe told a parliamentary committee that sport is one of the most successful ways to rehabilitate young people.
“A single person succeeding in sport is a life that (has) generational possibilities. Not just in terms of no harm and hurt to the public by that individual, but certainly in becoming a productive citizen,” he said.
“We at the Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service take rehabilitation of juvenile offenders as a very important aspect in the reduction in crime and criminality across the country,” Commissioner Corraspe added.
He said that despite this there are operational and resource constraints to their work.
The institution has approximately 48-49 residents, with fluctuating numbers, disciplinary requirements, and competing vocational programs, making it difficult to organize structured sports.
Commissioner Corraspe said limited equipment, outdated gear, and insufficient facilities—such as recovery and training resources—also affect delivery.
He said despite this, YTRC offers basic sporting activities including football, track and field, and boxing.
The Prison Service head said some of their resident have represented external teams with success.
