Girls at the Diamond Crest Villa listen attentively to their instructor during a mathematics lesson. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

PAULINE TATE has lived a hard life. Throughout her relatively short existence, the teenager has encountered enough violence, pain and heartache to make her resentful and distrustful of adults.

Although she was sentenced by the courts to three years in a juvenile facility, the 14-year-old would rather endure this fate than go back home.

When asked by The Sunday Gleaner recently whether she missed her family and would like to go home to them, the teenager answered, "No. I would prefer to stay here and be away from them than go back home."

Her face was a picture of pain and sadness as she bowed her head in what could be perceived as embarrassment.

Tate is one of 20 girls now being housed at the former Diamond Crest Villa near Alligator Pond, Manchester.

transferred from armadale

The girls were recently transferred from the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in Alexandria, St Ann, which was gutted by fire two weeks ago.

Five girls lost their lives in the fire, while 10 others were hospitalised. One of those hospitalised died last Thursday.

The girls will be housed for three months at Diamond Crest until the authorities have identified a more suitable and permanent setting for them.

The Sunday Gleaner visited the facility to see how the girls were adjusting to their new environment and how they were coping after the tragic ordeal.

The girls' new 'home' - a former hotel - is a significant improvement over the conditions at Armadale, which was ordered closed by the prime minister after he became aware of the deplorable conditions there.

more conducive setting

While at Armadale, the girls lived in a rough dormitory setting; at Diamond Crest they will still be housed in this type of setting, but in a much more conducive environment. There are six bunk beds to a room and each bedroom has its own bathroom - a situation the girls apparently were excited about.

When The Sunday Gleaner arrived at the Manchester home, the resort-villa appeal of the property was quickly disappearing, as workmen were busy erecting grilles around the windows, doors and balcony of the facility. A black, mesh material was also used to cover the decorative blocks of the building, while massive security lights had been erected around the entire property.

This was a sharp reminder that the girls were not at Diamond Crest for a vacation but there to be rehabilitated and reformed.

Many of them, including Tate, have been sentenced to spend between one and three years at the correctional facility because of their rebellious and often-violent behaviour. But behind the hard exterior of many of the juveniles, there is enormous pain and trauma. Superintendent of the Stony Hill Remand Centre in St Andrew, Mabel Morris, and superintendent of the new Diamond Crest facility, Mavlette White, said many of the girls were having a hard time coping after the May 22 fire.

assist in transition

Morris was sent to Diamond Crest to assist the girls during the transition period.

Both superintendents cautioned The Sunday Gleaner against asking the inmates about the fire, "because many of them have not been handling the ordeal well".

"They are really sad about it. There is a sense of loss and, for some reason, many of them don't seem to want to mention it," Morris said.

White said despite the setting, many of the girls had developed a bond, almost forming a sisterhood.

The juveniles have been having weekly visits from a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a medical doctor, as well as being attended to by the two superintendents, correctional officials and counsellors.

orientation and training

Part of the rehabilitation process at Diamond Crest includes six weeks of orientation. The girls will also receive practical training in either clothing and textile, or cosmetology. There is also a computer lab and home economics centre, and the juveniles will also attend mathematics, English and social studies classes.

Many of the girls, including 17-year-old Claudine Perry*, who spent one year and two months at Armadale, see Diamond Crest as a new beginning. "I like it here. It's quieter and most of the bad girls who were giving the trouble aren't here," she said.

Perry said she enjoyed her mathematics classes and was looking forward to starting her training in information technology. The 17-year-old said she was looking forward to turning her life around when she was discharged from the facility, maybe even furthering her education so she could become either a general practitioner or a psychologist.

*Names changed to protect the identity of the juveniles

athaliah.reynolds@ gleanerjm.com