South Sudanese boys who are in conflict with the law will no longer have to share prison space with adult inmates after ground was broken for the construction of a Juvenile Reformatory Centre in the capital, Juba.

“Children in conflict with the law need rehabilitation not punishment,” said Moustapha Soumaré, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, adding that the new facility will “create an environment that fosters development and rehabilitation for the young boys.”

Through its Quick Impact Projects programme, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), will help to ensure that young offenders are provided with “safe and secure” housing,  separate from adult inmates, while awaiting trial or serving their sentences.

Mr. Soumaré said that young people play a critical role in building a nation, stressing that the reintegration of the boys into society depended on more than just “bricks and mortar.”

“The UN mission’s Rule of Law and Child Protection Units stand ready to partner with the government and the National Prisons Service of South Sudan to address issues related to juvenile detention and rehabilitation,” he said.

The Juvenile Reformatory Centre, which will hold up to ninety boys aged below 17 years, is the first of its kind in South Sudan. It is expected to be a model for similar facilities in other parts of the country, which will help to separate children from adult offenders in accordance with best practices and principals under international law.

The chief of the UN mission’s Child Protection Unit, Alfred Orono Orono, said that juveniles incarcerated with adults face a significant risk of being sexually abused, and are more likely to commit suicide. He thanked local authorities for allowing UNMISS to access detention centres to monitor the situation and help bring an end to the cycle of placing juveniles in adult facilities. 

The young detainees will have access to vocational training in order to equip them with much-needed skills to help them reintegrate into society. 

“Juvenile offenders have particular needs that are different from adult offenders,” said UNMISS Director of Rule of Law, James Arguin. “They have a reduced appreciation of danger that makes them particularly vulnerable to influence by external parties including adult prisoners,” he explained.

Wilbert George*, 17, an inmate who has served 2 years and 10 months of his 3 year sentence said that he is looking forward to going back to school when he gets out of detention.

“I want to be a lawyer and work for justice,” he said.

“Now I know that what I did was wrong,” said Wilbert, who was found guilty of murder. 

The Minister of Interior, Michael Chienjiek Geay, said that it has been difficult to separate juveniles from adults because of lack of resources. He thanked the UN mission for their continued support and partnership “to achieve the shared vision of a safe, secure, and humane juvenile justice system”.

*  The name has been changed to protect the identity of the minor offender.