Teenagers serving socio-educational measures receive Jaé cards during a visit to a tourist spot in Rio.

Young men and women served by the Step by Step program receive additional support on their path to social reintegration - Press Release

A group of 30 teenagers and young people serving socio-educational measures (MSE) in an open setting had a different kind of morning on Tuesday (November 18th). Young men and women served by the Passo a Passo program, from the Municipal Secretariat of Social Assistance (SMAS) of Rio, visited Yup Star, the Ferris wheel located in Porto Maravilha. In addition to the ride – with a privileged view, from up high, of Guanabara Bay, the Olympic Boulevard and the Museum of Tomorrow – they received their Jaé cards, which will help them with transportation to the activities planned as part of the measures they must comply with.

The distribution of Jaé cards serves as an incentive to ensure the weekly attendance of adolescents and young people fulfilling socio-educational measures at the CREAS (Specialized Reference Centers for Social Assistance). In these spaces, multidisciplinary teams from SMAS monitor and support, through services and programs such as Passo a Passo, the development of young men and women referred by the Justice system. Regular attendance at the CREAS, with involvement in the proposed activities, is one of the obligations imposed by socio-educational measures in an open environment, which can be of two types: assisted liberty or community service.

This Tuesday, at the Ferris wheel, the first 30 cards were distributed to teenagers and young people from the CREAS Nelson Carneiro, in Ramos, in the North Zone; Padre Guilherme Decaminada, in Santa Cruz, in the West Zone; and Daniela Perez, in Taquara (Jacarepaguá), in the Southwest Zone of Rio. Starting next Monday, November 24th, the Jaé cards will be delivered to all 14 CREAS in the city during appointments. The goal is to distribute a total of 492 cards.

What is the Step-by-Step process?

The "Step by Step" program supports adolescents and young people fulfilling socio-educational measures. With a budget of R$ 1,5 million per year, financed by the Municipal Fund for Children and Adolescents (FUMCAD), the SMAS program offers various cultural, educational, and professional training activities aimed at social reintegration. Among these, workshops in music education, audiovisual production, and DJ techniques (mixing, equalization, beat synchronization, and others) stand out. Classes are held once a week in all CREAS centers, and each topic has a module. At the end of each module, students present a final project.

The actions of the Step-by-Step program help maintain the interest of adolescents and young people in complying with the socio-educational measures. The attendance rate at the Specialized Social Assistance Reference Centers (CREAS) is 92%, and the recidivism rate during the socio-educational measure is only 3%. The tutors (professionals from the Municipal Secretariat of Social Assistance (SMAS) who monitor the development of the boys and girls) actively seek out those who miss the proposed activities. School attendance is also monitored by the tutors, and this work is done in conjunction with the educational institutions where those served by the program are enrolled.

What are socio-educational measures?

Socio-educational measures (MSEs) are provided for in the Statute of Children and Adolescents (ECA) to hold adolescents aged 12 to 18 accountable and provide social protection for those who have committed an infraction. Once the measure is directed to serving the sentence in an open environment, by judicial decision, the adolescent is required to attend the Specialized Social Assistance Reference Center (CREAS) in their area of ​​residence and participate in the activities proposed to them.