REVEREND Dwayne Nelson is calling on Jamaican men to be more present parental figures, following discussions with juveniles at correctional facilities during which 30 per cent of them disclosed that fatherlessness contributed to their incarceration and behavioural challenges.

He said this revelation aligns with previous regional and international studies which found that children were 11 times more likely to commit a criminal offence if they had an absent father.

The Department of Correctional Services chaplain made the call ahead of the world observing Father’s Day on June 21, also stressing the importance of male mentorship for fatherless youth, noting that these children are craving and searching for fatherly figures.