The document discusses the rehabilitation program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for children in conflict with the law in the Philippines. It describes the various services provided, including treatment services with an interdisciplinary team, group living services with income-generating activities, special education tailored to individual needs, and a mentoring program where rehabilitated youth help current youth. It argues that this rehabilitation program should be improved rather than lowering the age of criminal liability.

1. ON WHY WE SHOULD IMPROVE THE
REHABILITATION PROGRAM OF THE DSWD
REGARDING CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE
LAW RATHER THAN LOWER THE AGE OF
CRIMINAL LIABILITY
CHRISTIAN CALICDAN

2. Rehabilitation Center

7. PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
 Treatment Services
These are comprehensive interventions for the treatment of youth
offenders which primarily carried out by an interdisciplinary team
composed of social worker, psychologist, houseparent, and in some
instance, a psychiatrist.
Group Living Services
These refer to the provision of well-balanced, organized and non-
formal activities to the youth which are geared toward achievement
of treatment goals for individual youths and the group as a whole.
The youth offenders are also given the opportunity to engage in
income-generating so that they could earn and save for their future.

8.  Special/Non Formal Education
This is undertaken in coordination with the Department of Education, which provided
formal/remedial classes and paid teachers to youth offenders who were forced to stop schooling
because of their deviant behavior and commission of offense. In remedial education, the
curriculum is adapted to the age, capacity and interest of the individual youth inside the center.
Youth offenders are taught in an informal setting, small in size, and use activity and individualized
learning. If needed, the youth attends school outside the center. Vocational skills training are
integrated in this service to provide the youth occupational skills preparation for his reintegration
to the community.
 Mentoring Program
This includes the youth offenders who have finished the rehabilitation process. These
rehabilitated youth to help other children still going through the process. This is more effective
since the ones who already experienced it can better empathize with and have more credibility
among the newcomers. This mentoring program is not only for children in conflict with law but
also for those children who want to learn.

9.  Aside from this, I suggest that social workers of local
government units should provide after-care services to
the released CICLs. There must be educational
assistance, vocational training, counseling, legal
assistance, psychological and psychiatric
assessment. Their parents must also be given
livelihood assistance as necessary. This will ensure
that they are being reintegrated into society properly
and are being provided with the services necessary to
prevent their going back to activities detrimental to
them and to the community.
.

10.  The vision of justice isn’t about saving money or averting
prison construction–and it’s certainly not about being
soft on crime. It’s about making things right instead of
lamenting what’s wrong, cultivating strength rather than
perpetuating failure.”
– Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial, 11 July 1993

11. THANK YOU!