The government on Friday launched several strategies to protect juvenile offenders, including removing them from prisons to be put into rehabilitation centres, a move also aimed at reducing congestion in prisons. Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Friday said at the launch of the Strategic and Operational Plan for the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Law that there are 1,535 children in all 28 prisons in the Kingdom, of whom 152 are serving time with the rest yet to go on trial.

 

The strategic plan was jointly launched by the Justice and Social Affairs ministries in collaboration with Unicef in order to implement the Juvenile Justice Law, which came into effect last year. Mr Kheng said that the main purpose of the strategic and operational plan is to improve the lives of children in conflict with the law by focusing on two objectives: to build a sustainable juvenile justice system and to provide effective protection and support to children in conflict with the law.

 

“I agree that juvenile justice is a new thing for Cambodia, but the government is highly committed to develop this plan to create a standard and operational base to ensure respect for human rights, especially children’s rights,” Mr Kheng said.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50562268/government-aims-to-take-children-out-of-prisons/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 24/12

Children in prison - disgusting and unbelievable!

Prison mostly is not for children but as demonstrated in the west (and also here) there are some young teens that require high security scrutiny due to the viciousness of their crimes. This move needs to be balanced with the safety of the communities also. 

In many "other" countries, children are housed in child detention centres specially equipped to handle the emotional and physical needs of children. They definitely don't belong in an adult prison atmosphere.

This is one more example of how Thailand would do well to observe and adapt already established ways of other countries. No need to re-invent the wheel.