The Justice Minister and other officials, who visited a Special Detention Center for juvenile offenders in Avlona, Greece, found its model unsuitable for Cyprus, Philelefheros reported on Wednesday.
Andreas Tsiartas, Head of the Human Rights Department in the Ministry of Justice, who was part of the Cyprus delegation, said that the juvenile prison in Avlona is very strict, whereas Cyprus wants to build a modern centre that will resemble a hosting facility.
Following the enactment of the special law about juvenile offenders, the Justice Ministry has been seeking a prototype on which to base a detention centre for minors in Cyprus. Currently, juvenile offenders are detained in the Central Prison together with adults.
According to the legislation, people aged 16-21 will be held in the new juvenile detention centres, only after a Court decision and after all other options are exhausted.
The Justice Ministry has requested the release of an amount of 950,000 euros which must pass by the House of Representatives.
A first discussion at the House Legal Committee revealed disagreements about who will be in charge of guarding the facility. The space will be run by private entities but will be guarded by members of the police, Phileleftheros reported citing information.
According to Justice Ministry plans, the detention centre will have the capacity to host ten individuals with a provision to expand it to 25.
It will be located either in Nicosia or Larnaca districts but not within the city.
Currently, the legislation about juvenile offenders is being implemented very slowly due to a lack of infrastructure, Phileleftheros writes.