The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) of Mexico has recently published a report on the living conditions of young people in conflict with the law in the country’s youth detention centres.
For this study, the CNDH representatives visited the 45 youth detention centres of the national territory, interviewing professionals and surveying young people in these centres on their realities, vision and needs. They also consulted with relevant authorities from the national juvenile justice system.
The CNDH representatives examined the characteristics and operation of these centres in relation to the international standards regarding human rights, children’s rights and in particular those of children in conflict with the law, as well as to national Mexican legislation regarding these same aspects.
The CNDH recalls in the report that “The national juvenile justice system has a duty to respect, protect and guarantee the human rights of adolescents, in accordance with the highest national and international standards in this field, from the perspective of the principle of the best interests of children, always from a gender perspective and observing the pro-personae principle, recognising that they are at a stage of development characterised by profound biological, psychological and social changes.”
Based on this rights-respecting approach, the goal of this report is to “identify and shed light on the conditions that can thwart the process of reintegration and constructive development in society, that must be related to dignified treatment, access to justice, the specialisation and adequate staffing of personnel who work with children, the fulfilment of their activity plan and the intervention carried out with them, the communication with the outside, the protection of their rights to health, food, their physical and mental integrity, adequate housing, education and information, as well as the legality and legal security of the application of disciplinary sanctions, among others.”