Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that several former gang members have successfully completed training at the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE), citing the achievement as proof that government intervention programmes can redirect at-risk youth away from a life of crime.
According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the remarks during an appearance on the Brown and Brown Show on Sunday, where he outlined the government's ongoing efforts to combat crime through rehabilitation and skills development.
"You all will be pleased to know that a number of them have now graduated from ABICE," Browne said, referring to young people who had previously been involved in gang activity.
The prime minister credited the programme with equipping participants with practical skills and opening doors to further education and employment opportunities. "The intervention that we have actually made would have saved a number of them and reformed them to the extent that many of them now have a skill," he said.
Browne pledged that the government would continue supporting the graduates as they pursue new careers and build better futures. "We will continue to nurture them and see how we can encourage them to reach new heights too," he said, adding that some graduates could eventually pursue studies at the University of the West Indies.
Beyond individual success stories, Browne indicated the government has broader ambitions for ABICE itself. He said authorities plan to further develop the institution to produce highly skilled tradespeople. "We want to make sure we get ABICE to the level that we have the most skilled workers anywhere," he said.
The comments form part of the government's wider strategy to address crime through education and rehabilitation, positioning vocational training as a meaningful alternative to gang involvement for vulnerable young people.
