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Last update - 02:10 21/01/2008 Teen detainees refuse to leave home condemned as unfit by gov't By Ruth Sinai and Fadi Eyadat Tags: Israel, welfare, Nofit  Some 25 teenage crime suspects Sunday refused to vacate the Hadera shelter where they are staying in lieu of jail, despite the Welfare Ministry's order that they be moved due to the shelter's miserable conditions, including a lack of food. When ministry officials came to the Nofit shelter Sunday to bring the teens to court for a hearing on where they should be moved, they refused to leave. The judges therefore agreed to postpone the hearing for a few days to give social workers time to persuade the teens and prevent their forcible removal. Last week, chief public defender Inbal Rubinstein, whose office represents most of the teens, presented Welfare Ministry officials with testimony about the shelter's conditions from three Nofit counselors and three of the teen suspects who, inter alia, complained about being hungry. The ministry consequently conducted a surprise inspection, which found that "the site was filthy to the point of endangering the teens; there were rotten vegetables in the kitchens... the doors of the showers and toilets had no handles; the toilets' flush didn't work and they had to be flushed with a mug; there were exposed and dangerous electric o Advertisement utlets." Shelter director Gil Bar invited journalists to Nofit Sunday to try to refute the ministry's findings. Outside, parents of some of the teens distributed a letter praising the shelter and asking that it not be closed down. They have also sent the letter to the judges. "My son returned to me, returned to life," said one mother. "My son was a criminal, a robber, and violent. Today, he is working and taking his matriculation exams... The people here are giving him what his father and I didn't give him  warmth, love and education. If he had been hungry and neglected here, would I let him remain?" According to Rubinstein, most of the staff are caring and devoted, which is apparently one reason the teens refused to leave. During Sunday's tour, the shelter looked beautifully tended and appointed, with a library, gym equipment, even a Jacuzzi. It was hard to reconcile with the counselors' reports of "a house full of cockroaches, with no hot water," of shortages of basic foodstuffs such as produce, bread and milk, of teens who were not even given prescribed medications. Apparently, massive cleaning and repair work was carried out over the weekend. Nofit is the only alternative to prison available to Jewish teens who have been denied bail before or during their trial, and for the last year, it has been run by a non-profit organization under Welfare Ministry supervision. The ministry said Sunday that it plans to seek a new operator for the shelter. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Vision of cooperation Saudi prince says if Israel leaves Arab land, it could join the Arab world. At odds with PM Bolton says the final IDF op in Lebanon had no impact on UN truce talks.

Today Online Barak: Pay no heed to Nasrallah, that's what gives him strength Responses: 243 Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel shortage Responses: 157 State to review 2007 IDF assassinations in Gaza, West Bank Responses: 80 Shmuel Rosner: Why do Nevada's Jews support Clinton? Responses: 66 Catrin Ormestad: Qassam attacks are destroying life in Gaza Responses: 61 Bolton: Final IDF op in Lebanon had no impact on UN truce Responses: 34 Rosner's Domain Domain's guest: Americans must help improve Israel's education system Why Huckabee worries the Jewish voter 67% of Nevada Jews voted for Clinton Meadow Soprano is more proud of Israel than the US (WTR) Blog & Poll: Can Joe Lieberman convince Jews in Florida to vote for McCain? More Headlines 00:41 Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade 01:58 Bolton: Final IDF op in Lebanon had no impact on UN truce talks 01:41 Poll: Only 16% of Israleis back Diaspora input on fate of J'lem 22:07 Peres: Public will rule on any deal reached with Palestinians 22:36 Why Republican candidate Mike Huckabee worries Jewish voters 16:21 Ministers call for assassination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah 18:03 Saudi prince: If Israel quits Arab land, it could join Arab world 18:26 Germany warns Jewish community of terror threat from Lebanon 18:52 Barak: Friedmann's proposals will deliver blow to judicial system Previous Editions Select Day 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan

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