The correctional service needs to review the sizes of its prison uniforms.
It is clear after the government asked the authority to prepare places for 13-year-olds.
– I think many people feel that this is the wrong way to go, says Elin Wernquist, Secretary General of the Children’s Rights Agency.
The article in brief
The correctional service prepares prison places for teenagers from the age of 13.
Part of it is to review the sizes of the uniforms, another is that the inmates receive qualified school content.
Several reference bodies, including the discrimination ombudsman and the children’s ombudsman, have directed criticism against the lack of support that a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility would lead to a reduction in crime.
Following the bill that 13-year-olds who commit particularly serious crimes can be sent to prison starting next summer, the Norwegian Correctional Service has been tasked by the government to prepare for child and youth prisons.
The thought that you will have to order small sizes for the children has aroused emotions. Elin Wernquist is secretary general of the Children’s Rights Agency, which has criticized the proposal in the referral body.
– I just packed away my 14-year-old’s clothes, size 146, and read that the Correctional Service is preparing to receive children. It becomes so damn clear how small they are.
Håkan Zandén works with the Department of Correctional Services’ preparations for the children and youth departments.
– When we procure, we will check that we have all the sizes needed, regardless of how small or large you need, he says.
However, clothes are not bought in centilongs, the unit of measurement used to indicate the size of children’s sizes.
Children and young people in prison instead of closed youth care
The government has presented a bill that children and young people from the age of 13 who commit particularly serious crimes can be put in prison.
The correctional service has previously been tasked with preparing to receive 15-17 year olds. Now the age has been lowered to 13 years from the first of July 2026.
The Correctional Service is initially preparing to obtain 100-150 places for the entire age range.
The lowered age of criminal liability is proposed to apply for five years.
The proposal is still out for consultation and has not yet been implemented as law.
The bill on lowering the age of criminal responsibility faces harsh criticism from children’s rights organizations and experts. Bris warns that younger children can be recruited into gang crime, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child believes that the proposal is contrary to the intention of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Seven out of nine experts in the investigation say no.
Focus on schooling
The first prison places will be ready on July 1, 2026 and the focus will be schooling and treatment programs adapted for children, according to Zandén.
– We have appointed a headmaster and an investigator is looking at the government’s mandate over the school legislation for a clearer plan going forward. They will receive qualified school content with teachers, student health, special teachers and special educators where needed, he says.
The inmates will go to school 23 hours a week, the same number as in Sis homes.
This is where the convicted children and young people end up
A total of eight institutions are now preparing to receive 13-17-year-olds.
Space is being prepared here for departments for children and young people:
Anstalten Ystad – girls
The Sagsjön institution – girls
Anstalten Mölndal – girls
Institution Högsbo – boys
The institution Österåker – boys
Anstalten Täby – boys
Anstalten Rosersberg – boys
Anstalten Skänäs boys
The Kumla institution – boys
Elin Wernquist, secretary general of the children’s rights organization Barnrätsbyrån.
Photo: Anna Lovehed
“Formative Years”
Several reference bodies, including the discrimination ombudsman and the children’s ombudsman, have directed criticism against the lack of support that a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility would lead to a reduction in crime.
– These are formative years. What kind of children come out the other side? He’s going out here in society again. What chance do we have to help him? People have to understand – and I think many do – that it will go to hell, says Elin Wernquist.
The Children’s Rights Agency would have preferred to see investment in the existing Sis operations.
– Just because Sis has her shortcomings does not legitimize giving the children something that is much, much worse. We need to put all our efforts into fixing the system we have, building it up and giving children and young people what they are entitled to.
The assessment: Accomplishes the assignment
The Correctional Service themselves stated in their consultation response that they are not equipped to receive 14-year-olds and that a further reduction would make the practical conditions for setting up youth prisons difficult.
But Håkan Zandén believes they have the right tools.
– We are preparing to do this as well as we can. Our assessment is that we will be able to cope with this assignment with a qualified operational content, he says.
Questions and answers about the preparations
Already today, the Correctional Service has problems with overcrowding – how will it go together with creating completely new departments for children and young people?
– We have emphasized in our previous consultation response that we considered that the departments could be ready in 2028 as proposed in the report. Now the proposal is 2026, which means that we have to enter the existing environment and make room for children. We have a short time and must do as well as we can, says Håkan Zandén.
The investigation of the proposal shows that there is a risk that the places not used for girls under 18 will be filled by inmates who are over 18. Will children and young people be able to mix with adult prisoners?
– The children and youth wards we are preparing are completely separated from adult prisoners.
How do you ensure that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is followed?
– It is a law in Sweden.
