Three children being held in prison

Carol Ellul

Feb 11th 2010, 22:04

I agree with Miriam, help them now before it's too late, In Malta we solve our problems in such an amazing manner, young children as young as 5 or 6 can find themselves locked up in the YPU for misbehaving, ending up like zombies fuelled with pills to knock them out, for those who do not know what YPU stands for, it's our mini Mount Carmel hospital for the under aged. These children should be taken care of in a place safer than home itself, work, study, and most of all be loved and cared for by trained people that would sort them out, no, we do not all live in a perfect world, but they deserve a chance.

JF Grech

Feb 11th 2010, 18:40

I do agree that these three children identified as under 16 are in fact children or what we would label as juveniles. Sadly it is clear that Malta is now in need of a Juvenile Lock Up or Detention facility so that they are not mixed with adult offenders. We need to face the fact that there are juveniles or children that actually can be a physical threat to others and need to be incarcerated. However I do hope that those crying out in defense of these children are not the same voices that are calling for the age of consent for sex to be dropped to 14 years of age. We seem to have an inconsistent view on the age at which people are to be considered children and to be protected; or adults and worthy of all the rights and responsibilities that the age implies.

Wilfred L Camilleri

Feb 11th 2010, 17:14

Common people, what a lot of nonsense! No one knows how the parents of these children raised them so let's not blame the parents without knowing the facts. Locking children in an adult prison is preposterous and abusive. Indeed these children should be held somewhere but it should be a facility for children separate from adult criminals. All efforts should be made to rehabilitate these children and it shouldn't be done at Corradino! If the crimes are serious, such as murder or rape, then the length of detention should reflect the seriousness of the crimes. For crimes that are not serious, rehabilitation including mandatory schooling and supervision outside of a detention center should be considered.

Carmel Galea

Feb 11th 2010, 14:43

Prison is too good for the under 16s terrorising Joann Garden in Tarxien. Knives, drugs, sex, all in abundance.

We are dreading summer...as usual.

Lock em' up... that's what I say!!!!

Joe Xuereb

Feb 11th 2010, 00:18

We all, at all times, find ourselves in situations, or indeed seek out situations, that require us to make decisions, often quick ones. Life experience and a sound morality means that most of us steer clear of trouble all of the time. Some, unfortunately, only most of the time and therefore, lapse into inappropriate behaviour. Then there is the diehard criminal who ends up in prison. Children are people too and they have to make decisions like the adults as I just state. But a child has no experience and perceives differently life's pressures. To treat them as adult criminals in a place where they could endure further abuse - the fact that they'll have experienced the inside of such an adult institution - is, in itself, a form of abuse. Children have to be handled very carefully. The utmost needs to be done to prevent them turning into hardened criminals. Sending them to an adult prison is not the way to do that.
Committing a petty crime (never mind a serious one) could already be the start of a slippery slope. We must do everything in our power not to make it slippier than needs be.

D.Galea

Feb 10th 2010, 18:39

In a country which has one ONE prison!!? Mixing everyone together? Is it enough to have a youngsters section within the same location? What sort of correction is this supposed to provide...it does not the name Correctional Facility, it simply not if you ask me.

In my opinion the state might, especially in the case of these youngsters, have gave them the last push through a line from which they can't bring themselves back from.

David Buttigieg

Feb 10th 2010, 17:43

@G. Attard

I think it is you who made the assumption you are implying - I certainly did not.

"If our justice system is locking away children under 16, then how different are we to Eastern Block countries you seem to be indicating are doing this to their children? "

1. The Eastern Block does not exist any more .
2. My point is that we are NO different to how eastern block countries WERE! And that is shameful!
3. I specifically mentioned it was the administration of the countries that was to blame!

I stand by what I said there should be facilities for children and failing that the answer is not prison!

"Old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time." - what a dumb thoughtless comment, like children and teenagers think or have the same sense as adults - Are you saying you had the same restraint as when you where 15?

Read before you write!

S.Debono

Feb 10th 2010, 17:08

I agree with Ms.Nikolaeva....IF UVE DONE THE CRIME THEN MUST DO THE TIME!!! maybe not in Cordin at that age as they will probably come out worse than they went in!! Isn't there a Juvenile Court in Malta?? So how come no Juvenile Prison?? were maybe the underage that commit crimes can still be punished but can also be made to study and go through counselling and phsycological help and maybe come out with a little bit of education and knowledge to mix again with society!!

andreana attard

Feb 10th 2010, 16:40

Susanne Herold, It doesn't happen ONLY in Malta - d
ttp://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/05/opinion/oe-harcourt5
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1045443520080321
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/06/youth-prison-young-offenders

G. Attard

Feb 10th 2010, 16:10

@David Buttigieg,

You stress the word civilised as if you were tyring to throw Ms. Nikolaeva a hint. I would like first to congratulate you on your ability to assume someone's background just by their surname (or unless you know her personally, then I do sincerly apologize). If our justice system is locking away children under 16, then how different are we to Eastern Block countries you seem to be indicating are doing this to their children?

Michaela Vella

Feb 10th 2010, 15:27

Not all parents are able or know how to bring up children. It's possible that these children are the product of bad parenting.

I think a good way to turn young delinquents around is to have a new institution (not a prison) run by ex-military men who base their training on DISCIPLINE and solid values while not allowing the training to infringe on basic human rights, and i'm making this suggestion with the best intentions in mind. I believe it's not too late to "save" these youngsters from their own bad behaviour.

If residents like the ones at San Blas get such good training and come out stronger than when they went in, why can't we have a similar institution for young offenders?

Miriam Ellul

Feb 10th 2010, 15:13

Just a suggestion: Why don't these three children and maybe others, be given the chance to choose a course and attend to it under STRICT supervision ... and perhaps even work a certain number of hours per week (again under strict supervision) ? Meanwhile they will attend to individual guidance meetings to help them find themselves and what they want in life. I emphasized on 'strict' so that they will be protected from other criminals and crime.Then, at least, they can find a decent job and won't get into trouble again. Perhaps it is lack of self initiative or low self esteem that leads young people to do such 'crimes'! Sometimes they only need encouragement and appraisal to change their lives! Certainly not a room in Corradino Prisons!!

Miriam Ellul

Feb 10th 2010, 14:57

Children in prison is absolutely absurd! Isn't it better if these three children are being cared for and taken to be reformed rather then living with criminal adults (I agree that not all of them are criminals) I don't think that they are leaving Corradino with a certificate or a degree!! Any way I believe in reformity rather than punishment ... especially in such young people!

Susanne Herold

Feb 10th 2010, 14:24

What Nonsense! Only in Malta!

j grech

Feb 10th 2010, 14:18

why has malta not got a young offenders building, a remand centre for young offenders under the age of 18 yrs and no matter what the crime if they are not a danger to themselves or the public then they should be on bail under the supervision of their probation officer and making daily visits to their local police station to sign the register untill their case comes to court shame on you malta these children will come out knowing an awfull lot more about crime than what they went in knowing, and lets hope they are still receiving their full time education as the law requires.

Franklin Calleja

Feb 10th 2010, 12:12

I see it as a failure of the whole system. Our educational, social & justice systems are failing in this area; there's a whole lacunae of services for young people who have come in contact with the law. Why is there no system, besides Kordin, that provides for these young people? These young people don't have a voice in society, they don't write to editors in newspapers, they don't have blogs, but they shout at us through news like this.

Personally, I'm ashamed of being part of a society that is not able to take care of its young, for if we're not able to take care of our present, what will be our future?

Andrew Azzopardi

Feb 10th 2010, 11:25

..............unbelievable....this is another word for failure

Pamela Hansen

Feb 10th 2010, 11:19

The point is not that they should not be confined, but that prison is not the place for them.
Besides, since we do not know what crimes they have committed and for that matter anything about their family we are in no position to comment on anything else.

David Buttigieg

Feb 10th 2010, 11:05

@Elena Nikolaeva

Well, in CIVILISED countries that kind of reasoning is beyond warped. Anyone would think we were back in an Eastern Block country, and thank God those ways of administering a country and justice have been consigned to the dustbin of history where they belong.

A child is a child, and a child below 16 years old is not supposed to be in prison.

Quite frankly it's disgusting that we don't have proper facilities for these cases so we just dump them in prison!!

Shame!

G. Mangion

Feb 10th 2010, 09:54

@ Joseph Ellul

Naqbel ma Elena Nikolaeva . Imma mid dehra qed tinsa ukoll li,

MIX - XEWK JOHROG IL - WARD, U MILL WARD JOHROG IX - XEWK, LE ??

Joseph Ellul

Feb 10th 2010, 04:43

@M.Cassar. I am sure these kids have committed a crime, and must be a serious one. If you believe that they should be under their parents guardianship until 17, then where did they go wrong? Could it be that their parents let them too lose? Remember that "Skont iz-zokk, tkun il- fergha" Maybe there should be a compromise here, let them lose and put their parents as adults in their place.If the parents are responsible for them then they should be held responsible for the crime these "Children" committed.
There should not be any compassion here because if they started so young, can you imagine when they get even older?? You might be their next victim.Then what would you say??? I say "No place for them in Society" if they elected to live a life different than yours and mine, as law abiding Citizens.

Elena Nikolaeva

Feb 9th 2010, 21:21

Old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time.

M.Cassar

Feb 9th 2010, 20:11

Where are THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD? Whatever crime these children have committed, the prison is not the place for them. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child- of which Malta is signatory- these children are supposed to still be under the guardianship of their parents / guardians.Parents are bound to care for children from birth until 17 years of age. Another case where our laws not in line with our international obligations.