–3– 3. Detention centres for juveniles a. introduction 101. The CPT has long advocated that all detained juveniles who are suspected or convicted of a criminal offence should be held in detention centres specifically designed for persons of this age, offering a non-prison-like environment and regimes tailored to their needs and staffed by persons trained in dealing with the young. Regrettably, this is still far from being the case in many Council of Europe member states. There has been progress in ensuring that juveniles who are sent to prison are not held together with adults but in juvenile-only units. However, all too often these units offer not only poor material conditions but, due to a lack of trained staff, juvenile inmates are also provided with an impoverished regime, and support and supervision remain inadequate. This means that juveniles do not benefit from purposeful activities and training in life skills which are beneficial for reintegration into the community upon release. On the other hand, the Committee has visited a number of juvenile establishments in several countries, which are indeed juvenile-centred and based on the concept of living units. These establishments are composed of small well-staffed units, each comprising a limited number of single rooms (usually no more than ten) as well as a communal area. Juveniles are provided with a range of purposeful activities throughout the day, and staff promote a sense of community within the unit. The CPT considers that this type of centre represents a model for holding detained juveniles in all European countries. 102. As indicated above, juveniles (whether on remand or sentenced) should as a rule not be held in institutions for adults but in facilities specially designed for this age group. The CPT considers that when, exceptionally, they are held in prisons for adults, juveniles should always be accommodated separately from adults, in a distinct unit. Further, adult prisoners should not have access to this unit. That said, the Committee acknowledges that there can be arguments in favour of juveniles participating in out-of-cell activities with adult prisoners, on the strict condition that there is appropriate supervision by staff. Such situations occur, for example, when there are very few or only one juvenile offender in an establishment; steps need to be taken to avoid juveniles being placed de facto in solitary confinement. 103. Juveniles detained under criminal legislation should, in principle, not be held with juveniles deprived of their liberty on other grounds. Male and female juveniles who are placed in the same institution should be accommodated in separate units, although they may associate for organised activities during the day, under appropriate supervision. Special attention should be paid to the allocation of juveniles belonging to different age groups in order to accommodate their needs in the best way. Appropriate measures should also be taken to ensure adequate separation between these age groups in order to prevent unwanted influence, domination and abuse. The European Rules for young offenders state that young adult offenders may, where appropriate, be regarded as juveniles and dealt with accordingly. This practice can be beneficial to the young persons involved but requires careful management to prevent the emergence of negative behaviour. In this respect, the CPT considers that a case-by-case assessment should be carried out in order to decide whether it is appropriate for a particular inmate to be transferred to an adult institution after reaching the age of majority (i.e. 18 years), taking into consideration the remaining term of his/her sentence, his/her maturity, his/her influence on other juveniles, and other relevant factors.

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