Background
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (‘Mandela Rules’) (A/RES/70/175) (2016)[5] | |
Standard Rules for Non-Custodial Measures (‘Tokyo Rules, 1990’)[6] | |
Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (‘Bangkok Rules, 2016’) (A/RES/65/229) [7] | |
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) [8] | |
UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (‘Beijing Rules’, 1985) [9] | |
UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (‘Riyadh Guidelines’, 1990) [10] | |
UN Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System (‘Vienna Guidelines’, 1997) [11] | |
UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (‘Havana Rules’, 1990) [12] | |
UN Guidelines for the Appropriate Use and Conditions of Alternative Care for Children (2009) [13]. |
Methods
Key Word | Alternative |
---|---|
Juveniles in Prisons | Juveniles in prisons*, OR Juvenile inmates *, OR juvenile prisoners *, OR incarcerated juveniles *, OR Children in Conflict with the Law *, Adolescents in prisons* |
Research evidence | AND physical environment*OR availability of basic necessities*OR availability of adequate and quality nutrition* OR availability and accessibility of healthcare*OR availability of health education and promotion services and sexual reproductive health* OR availability of HIV/AIDS prevention* OR availability and accessibility of counselling services * OR availability of psychosocial services * |
African Countries | Sub Saharan Africa*OR Africa*OR and the names of all the individual countries in Sub Saharan Africa |
1 Juveniles in prisons | |
2. Juvenile inmates OR Juvenile inmates OR Juvenile prisoners OR incarcerated Juveniles OR children in conflict with the law OR Adolescents in prisons | |
3. OR physical environment, OR availability of basic necessities OR availability of adequate and quality nutrition, OR health services availability and accessibility, OR availability and accessibility of health care, OR availability of health education and promotion services and sexual and reproductive health, OR availability of HIV/IDS prevention, OR availability and accessibility of counselling services, OR availability and accessibility of psychosocial services) AND | |
4. Africa Databases were searched using the appropriate subject headings and/or keywords or text words for the above search groups: | |
Sample Search (Pubmed Central) searched on 15-10-2018 # Searches Results | |
1. Juvenile inmates OR Juvenile inmates OR Juvenile prisoners OR incarcerated Juveniles OR children in conflict with the law OR Adolescents in prisons | |
2. OR physical environment, OR availability of basic necessities OR availability of adequate and quality nutrition, OR health services availability and accessibility, OR availability and accessibility of health care, OR availability of health education and promotion services and sexual and reproductive health, OR availability of HIV/IDS prevention, OR availability and accessibility of counselling services, OR availability and accessibility of psychosocial services) AND Africa 1504 |
Results
Angola |
Côte d'Ivoire
|
Madagascar
|
Seychelles
|
Benin
| Djibouti |
Malawi
|
Sierra Leone
|
Botswana
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
Mali
| |
Burkina Faso |
Eritrea
|
Mauritania
|
Somalia
|
Burundi
|
Ethiopia
| Mauritius |
South Africa
|
Cameroon
|
Gabon
|
Mozambique
| Sudan |
Cape Verde
| The Gambia |
Namibia
|
Swaziland
|
Central African Republic
|
Ghana
| Niger |
Tanzania
|
Chad
| Guinea |
Nigeria
|
Togo
|
Comoros
|
Guinea-Bissau
| Réunion |
Uganda
|
Congo (Brazzaville)
| Kenya |
Rwanda
| Western Sahara |
Congo (DemocraticRepublic) |
Lesotho
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Zambia
|
Liberia
|
Senegal
| Zimbabwe |
Country | Number of Records chartered |
---|---|
Zambia | 6 |
Mozambique | 2 |
South Africa | 2 |
Lesotho | 1 |
Nigeria | 3 |
Côte d’Ivoire | 2 |
Somalia | 1 |
Ghana | 2 |
Eritrea | 1 |
Benin | 1 |
Malawi | 2 |
Burundi | 1 |
Liberia | 1 |
Chad | 1 |
Namibia | 1 |
Uganda | 1 |
Cameroon | 1 |
Cabo Verde | 1 |
Ethiopia | 1 |
Central African Republic | 1 |
Mali | 1 |
Guinea Bissau | 1 |
Comoros | 1 |
Republic of the Congo | 1 |
Gabon | 1 |
Mauritania | 1 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 1 |
Senegal | 1 |
Sierra Leone | 2 |
Tanzania | 1 |
Togo | 2 |
Madagascar | 1 |
Equatorial Guinea | 1 |
Rwanda | 1 |
Swaziland | 1 |
Seychelles | 1 |
Botswana | 1 |
Total | 51* |
Theme one: the prison environment for young people
Overcrowding, unhygienic conditions and poor sanitation
“ … Prison confinement can increase vulnerability to HIV due to frequent unprotected sex in the form of rape, non-availability and non-use of condoms, as well as high prevalence of STIs … ” [85].
“ … I am worried I will catch TB. There is no window, just a small opening with wire over it—not much ventilation, there were … 23 TB patients in my living area. There are no vents, no air. I’m worried … .” [35].
Mixing of young people and adults in same prisons
… “As a father it pains me that children do not have their own facilities … —we need to build a separate area for juvenile offenders … ” [35].
“ … We sleep with the adults, but they told us to say we sleep in a juvenile cell. If we don’t say we sleep in a separate cell, they will beat us. We are given punishment when we start talking. But we are scared we might die here … ” [36]
Sexual abuse
“ … Mainly the juveniles are very vulnerable. As young people coming into prison, we are full of fear. The convicts take advantage of us by providing us with food and security. We enter their dragnet, but by the time we discover this it is too late … ” [35].
“ … Forced sexual activity is very common. The way we sleep, we are in one another’s lap. ” [36].
Theme two: availability and accessibility of basic necessities
Inadequate bedding, linen and mosquito nets
“ … As for me when I came here, after three days, I was surprised to find that I had a lot of rashes over my neck and body. I think even exchanging bathing items, when your friends use it and then you also use it also causes rashes … ” [37].
Poor quantity and quality of food
“ … We have had experiences where the older inmates become physical and abuse us, even sexually … I haven’t physically been abused, because I know the system, and avoid enticements. But my more vulnerable friends fall prey. Once you eat the food, they reprimand you, say you have no choice. I have seen it happen … ” [36].
Theme three: navigating the prison system for health care and outside continuum of care
Prison healthcare provision and access to prison health care
“ … Sometimes it is difficult getting to the clinic, sometimes you may not get to go. We ask the cell leader – [and even if they agree] the guards might say no … ” [36].
“ … If you are sick, then you can’t go to the clinic … ” [36].
Accessibility to continuum of care outside prisons
“ … I asked for help at the clinic and they said they would take me to the hospital – that was seven months ago. They gave me some medicine but it only makes me sleep, it doesn’t help me breathe … ” [36].
Health education and promotion, sexual and reproductive health, psycho-social and HIV counselling services
“ … At the clinic where juveniles are referred, there are no adolescent health services. This is a big challenge as some adolescents are shy to openly talk about their sexual related challenges. Such fears worsen their health … ” [37].