Swedenon Thursday revealed prison conditions that teens as young as 13 will face if convicted of a serious criminal offence, once a much-criticised juvenile judicial reform takes effect in July.
The minority rightwing government, which is backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats and has prioritised the fight against surging crime rates, announced in January that it would reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13.
A majority of the 126 authorities the government consulted about the change were critical or opposed it outright, including the police and the prison service, but the government has moved forward with its plans regardless.
The Scandinavian country has struggled for more than a decade to contain a surge in organised violent crime, linked primarily to settlings of scores between rival gangs and battles to control the drug market.
The loosely-formed networks have increasingly recruited under-15s, often online, as highly-paid hitmen to carry out bombings and shootings, knowing they would not face prison time if caught.
Eight existing prisons have been tasked with preparing special sections for children, with three of them due to open by July 1 when the reform is scheduled to enter into force, the government said Thursday.
The children will be kept separated from adult inmates, and will be locked in their cells for 11 hours at night instead of the 14 hours for adults, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a press conference.
In addition to attending school lessons during the day, the children will have their own cafeteria, recreation yard, gym and infirmary.
Currently, most minors found guilty of serious crimes are not sentenced to prison.
They are usually ordered into closed detention facilities, called SIS homes, tasked with mandatory care and rehabilitation, rather than a punitive system like prison.
Source: Insider Paper
