As of July 1, the prison has begun accepting children and young people who have previously been convicted of serious violent crimes. Kumla Prison is one of eight prisons with children's departments, but so far the only one to have taken in young people who have previously been sentenced to prison.
The young people who have been transferred to Kumla were sentenced to prison before the amendment to the law lowering the age of criminal responsibility for certain serious crimes. Children who have previously been sentenced to closed youth care and placed in Sis homes will not be transferred to juvenile prisons.
Replaces closed youth care
The legal amendment that came into effect on July 1 means that prison will replace closed youth care.
"Why should children who are already in correctional services continue to be in regular prisons when there are no obstacles to their being with us? We look after their needs and the best interests of the children must always come first," says Jacques Mwepu, director of Kumla Prison.
According to Jacques Mwepu, there are "a few" of those currently admitted to the children's ward who have just turned 18. After an individual assessment, they have been placed at Kumla for special reasons.
But the places are not really made for 18-year-olds, they are intended for children under 18, emphasizes Jacques Mwepu.
This means that some will have to leave the children's ward in the future. The system is based on the principle that when inmates turn 18, they must move out.
But we will make individual assessments and look at the individual's needs also in that process, such as taking into account whether the person is in the middle of studies, or under clinical treatment by psychologists that must first be completed, says Jacques Mwepu.
32 rooms
Kumla has prepared four wards for children with eight living rooms in each. The children will live in their own rooms. Until the winter, Jacques Mwepu expects the number of inmates to remain low, around ten as of today.
It will take time before minors sentenced under the new legislation, which came into effect on July 1, come to us. However, we believe that all 32 places will be filled within one or two years, says Jacques Mwepu.
Do you expect more people who have just turned 18 to move in?
No, only in exceptional cases. We will accept individuals that our placement unit sends to us in accordance with the applicable criteria for such placement.
According to a new amendment to the law that came into effect on July 1, prison will replace closed youth care for children and young people between the ages of 15 and 17 who commit serious crimes.
Currently, there are no minors who have been convicted of crimes after the change in the law in any of the Prison and Probation Service's new children and youth departments.
Courts have previously been able to sentence people to up to 15 years in prison if there are exceptional reasons.
Those currently admitted to Kumla's ward for children have been moved from a prison, and not from Sis homes where those sentenced to a custodial sentence under the Closed Youth Care Act, LSU, end up.
Source: Swedish Prison and Probation Service
The Swedish Prison and Probation Service's forecast for the number of clients who have not turned 18 and are admitted to prison:
December 2026: Approximately 15 individuals
December 2027: Approximately 200 individuals
December 2028: Approximately 300 individuals
In the longer term, the forecast levels out to approximately 300 clients.
There are currently 60 ready-to-move-in places.
Source: Swedish Prison and Probation Service
