Articles & NewsMay 22, 2008 Teens should be put in rehabilitation facilitiesKUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 3,000 children below 18 years old are imprisoned together with hardcore adult criminals in the general prison. Many of them have been locked up for petty crimes like not carrying their identity card. Convicts under 18 are required to be
placed in special juvenile programmes, while those in remand
should be placed in juvenile detention centres.
She fears that when they do leave prison, they will follow in the steps of the hardcore prisoners they have mixed with while in jail. This is why she is making it a priority to expedite legal processes for children in remand and to keep those convicted out of adult prisons. She is looking into forming a task force with the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers. "Those held in prison while in remand are only there because they cannot afford to post bail. They have to wait for months, if not years, before they are finally sentenced," she said after launching the Child Protection Policy workshop and action plan yesterday. "Every day spent in prison is a day lost in a child's development, and this will have an adverse effect on them." She has been discussing with university vice-chancellors and deans of law faculties on training law students to be more sensitive when dealing with children. "So far my suggestions have been met positively," she said. |
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