Bermuda's approved societies which are supposed to detain and rehabilitate young males under the age of 16 who have broken the law, are failing to do their job effectively.

And many of the youths who are sent there, end up back on the streets within days and commit more serious offences because there is a lack of proper supervision.

One family member who spoke to The Royal Gazette on condition that her name not be used, said she did not like how the system was dealing with one of her relatives.

Her 15-year-old nephew has already been expelled from Warwick Secondary School. A Magistrate sent him to the Observatory Cottage -- an approved society -- on Palmetto Road for a string of offences that include cycle theft and breaking a 9.00 p.m. curfew.

However the family member said that since the Observatory Cottage is an unsecured facility, the 10-12 boys housed there are free to come and go as they please.

"This makes no sense,'' the family member said. "We put our children there because they are in need of a protective environment. The courts have deemed that they are in need of care and protection.

"Instead, these juveniles are placed there but they then walk out onto the streets. Once there they need to eat so they commit petty crimes to survive.

"They stay AWOL (absent without leave) from the facility for as long as two to three weeks at a time. But when I call the facility they say it's not their responsibility to bring these children back.'' The family member said that this has happened to her 15-year-old relative who was sent there six weeks ago but only spent four nights.

"I called the Police station but they said they had no report about him being AWOL although he had been gone for close to two weeks.

"The Police say their hands were tied so they passed this kid on the streets.

They would even converse with him when they saw him but they never picked him up or took him back to Observatory Cottage.'' Subsequently, the Police have questioned the boy about a slew of break and entering and stealing offences in the Somerset area.

He was then picked up and returned to the Observatory Cottage last Wednesday.

"But on Friday,'' the family member continued, "he walked out again and no one is taking any responsibility for him.

"Here we have a sitting Magistrate who sentences him to a period in an approved society where the basic premise is rehabilitation through detention.

"As a minor they should be in school until age 16. However the Observatory Cottage workers drive these kids around looking for employment for them instead of getting an educator at the facility to help them.

"So the kids end up back on the street walking around getting high. We are allowing criminals to be bred.'' Since Friday the teen is alleged to have broken into the home of at least one family member and stolen money.

"I can't understand why the Police continue to drive past him when they see him sitting out on the street,'' the family member added.

"It is pointless for the courts to send these kids to approved societies where they get no help. All they become is institutionalised.

"I just want them to put teeth in the laws that they do have. The only function the Observatory Cottage serves is keeping the workers at the facility in a job but they are not doing anything to help the delinquents.

"They are fooling the public into thinking that there are these places where minors can get help but it is totally a facade and a sham.'' Social Services Minister Harry Soares declined to address this particular case.

However he admitted that the present system was not working as well as it could be.

He said juveniles housed at one facility have caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to the building. But he said his Ministry refused to shoulder all blame.

"The responsibility for our young people lies with parents,'' he said. "Some parents seem to let these kids go astray for long periods of time and then they expect us to perform miracles.

"I do accept that there are some problems with the current system and that is why Government is pushing ahead with new residential care facility for these young people.

"This is in the works but like anything else that is new, these things take time because we need a consensus on what to do.'' Mr. Soares said that more than $3.5 million has been set aside in the budget to make the new residential care facility a reality.

"We want to get all the homes together so that we can increase the efficiency of the entire operation,'' he explained.

"I do agree that we need proper security at some of the cottages which are not as secure as they could be.

"The kids have caused a tens of thousand of dollars worth of damage to one particular facility but we are prepared, if a child is totally out of control, to put a child down at the Co-ed facility because it is secure. But that is on a very rare occasion. It is an absolute last resort.'' JAIL JAL