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October 26, 2008

The UN children's fund, UNICEF, said on Friday that 104 teenagers aged 15 to 18 have been released from eight prisons in Somaliland, northwestern Somalia, following the enactment of the new Juvenile Justice Law for Somaliland in April 2008.

UNICEF Representative for Somalia Christian Balslev-Olesen welcomed the presidential decree and the initiatives taken by the Somaliland authorities, saying the action would lead to a fair legal system.

"These actions will ensure a fair justice legal system for children and build greater awareness of child rights and the need for children to be protected when they come in contact with the law," Balslev-Olesen said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The Juvenile Justice Law has introduced well founded provisions to protect the rights of children in legal proceedings.

These include an increase in the age of criminal responsibility to 15 years and the stipulation that imprisonment of children should be as a measure of last resort for the shortest possible period.

Under a presidential decree pardon, announced to commemorate Eid Al Fitr, the children were released on Tuesday into the care of their communities. Many had been imprisoned on charges such as truancy, vagrancy or Asi Al-Walidain (disobedience to parents).

According to UNICEF, before their release, the children were evaluated and given two days of individual counseling and psycho social support.

"Upon release, services to reintegrate the children were immediately provided by the Justice for Children Project, a joint program between UNICEF and the UNDP Rule of Law and Security (ROLS) Program," the statement said.

UNDP's ROLS Program Manager Alejandro said implementation of the ROLS Justice for Children Project had helped to strengthen the judiciary, law enforcement and human rights in Somaliland.

"The new Juvenile Justice Law takes precedence over all other laws relating to children in conflict with the law and we expect its provisions -- such as community mechanisms to address juvenile misbehavior -- to be used more frequently to prevent the imprisonment of children," he said.

UNICEF said the children were provided with clothing, food allowances and transport back to their communities. Those without parents will be further supported to enroll in vocational programs.

Other activities will include the mobilization of communities to create protective environments to which the children can return: where they are not stigmatized but supported to become responsible and productive citizens.

Community child protection committees will also support education of children through enrollment in formal and non-formal education programs for children who have come into contact with the law.

Source:Xinhua

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Teenagers Receive UN Assistance After Being Released From Jail

UN News Service (New York)

Two United Nations agencies are providing clothing, transport and food allowances to more than 100 teenagers released this week from prison in the self-declared autonomous region of Somaliland in north-western Somalia as part of efforts to help the children reintegrate into their communities.

Under the Justice for Children Project, a joint effort of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the released inmates are also being given individual counselling and berths in vocational programmes.

On Tuesday the 104 children, all aged between 15 and 18, were released from eight prisons into the care of their local communities after a presidential decree pardon. Many had been jailed on such charges as truancy, vagrancy or disobedience to parents.

UNICEF said in a press release issued today that the project includes efforts to ensure that local communities offer a protective environment so that the children do not feel stigmatized when they return.

Christian Balslev-Olesen, the agency's representative for Somalia, welcomed the decree and other recent initiatives by authorities in Somaliland.

"These actions will ensure a fair justice system for children and build greater awareness of child rights and the need for children to be protected when they come in contact with the law," he said.

UNDP programme manager Alejandro Benda-a said the project was helping to strengthen the judiciary, law enforcement and human rights in Somaliland.

"The new juvenile justice law takes precedence over all other laws relating to children in conflict with the law and we expect its provisions - such as community mechanisms to address juvenile misbehaviour - to be used more frequently to prevent the imprisonment of children," he said.

Two of the children, whose names were not released to protect their identities, said they were hoping to build better lives.

A 17-year-old boy imprisoned for causing a disturbance at a wedding recounted being sent to jail: "While in prison most of the discussions with the inmates related to the advanced ways of committing crimes. I hope I will not go back to prison."

A 15-year-old boy said he was very scared during his stint in prison: "There are lice in our bodies and we don't get proper education. Older people tell us all kinds of horrible stories and the guy who murdered his father is in the same cell as us. However, I wish for a day I could be educated and lead a law-abiding life."