Law allows minors to stay in Central Prison longer due to lack of options

In a recent decision, the House of Assembly agreed to let juveniles stay in the Central Prison until January 1, 2026, because there aren't enough places to keep them elsewhere.

The new law passed with 12 people voting yes, 1 voting no, and 9 choosing not to vote either way. It means that minors who have been given a prison sentence will stay in a special part of the prison until there are other places for them to go.

During the meeting, Andreas Pasiourtides, a member of AKEL, said he was upset because even though they made a law in 2021 to have separate places for juveniles in prison, nothing has been done about it. He said it's not fair to keep juveniles in the same place as adults, especially when there could be bad things happening in the prison.

Another lawmaker, Alexandra Attalidou, said she voted against the law because it's not right to keep minors in prison just because the government hasn't done its job properly. She said minors need special help, and not to be mixed up with adults who are in trouble with the law.

On the other hand, Fotini Tsiridou, from DISY, said they wanted to have special places for minors in prison, but nothing happened even though they planned it in 2023. She said they needed to get moving and do something about it soon.

The decision shows how the government is struggling to figure out what to do with minors who have done something wrong, especially when there aren't enough places to keep them safe and help them get better.

[Information sourced from CNA]