Rio, 9/12/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The federal government has released R$2 million for the construction of an Intensive Assistance Center which will house 40 juvenile offenders. The center will be run by the Department for Socio-Educational Activities and will seek to give the youths professional training so they will have something they can do, rather than returning to crime.

The center will also be able to assist up to an additional 100 youths on conditional liberty. One of the areas of training will be in the use and maintenance of computers and recycling of cartridges. That will be part of the government's Digital Inclusion program. Some of the youths will be trained as attendents in a program that provides senior citizens with information on the internet or by phone. (AB)