In El Salvador, Congress approved legislation on Wednesday allowing minors convicted of organized crime-related offenses to be housed in the same prisons as adults, albeit in separate areas. This measure is applicable to individuals under 18 involved in gangs and charged with serious crimes such as homicide, kidnappings, and arms trafficking, as stated by Congress.
The new law is part of President Nayib Bukele's contentious battle against organized crime. Since 2022, he has declared a state of emergency, suspending certain constitutional rights, and overseeing the construction of various initiatives.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about alleged mistreatment of prisoners, including minors. The government denies any allegations of torture in its prison facilities.
Additionally, U.S. citizens convicted of crimes are being incarcerated in Salvadoran prisons.
El Salvador's Congress highlighted in an official statement that this measure aims to differentiate the treatment received by minors involved in severe crimes from those involved in less serious or isolated offenses.
The government of El Salvador does not routinely disclose data regarding prisoners or those in pre-trial detention. In February last year, it reported that 1,065 children had been convicted during the state of emergency. According to Human Rights Watch, the number of detained minors increased significantly during the state of emergency, with over 3,300 detained between March 2022 and December 2023. This contrasts with an average of 805 juveniles in detention centers annually between 2018 and 2021.