El Salvador Approves Law to Hold Convicted Minors in Adult Prisons

El Salvador’s Congress has approved a law allowing minors convicted of serious gang-related crimes to be housed in adult prisons, though in separate areas. The move is part of President Nayib Bukele’s ongoing crackdown on organized crime.

The new law applies to children under 18 who are gang members convicted of major crimes, including:
✔ Homicide
✔ Kidnapping
✔ Arms trafficking

📢 "This will prevent them from receiving the same criminal treatment as those who have committed less serious crimes," Congress said in a statement.

Why It Matters

Since 2022, Bukele’s government has implemented a state of emergency, suspending constitutional rights and introducing mass trials. His administration has also built a mega-prison to house thousands of detainees.

Rights groups allege that prisoners, including minors, have been tortured, though the government denies these claims.

Meanwhile, the United States is assessing a plan to send U.S. citizens convicted of crimes to Salvadoran prisons.

By the Numbers

📊 Official figures on detained minors remain scarce, but:

1,065 minors were convicted under El Salvador’s state of emergency (as of February 2023).
More than 3,300 children were detained between March 2022 and December 2023, according to Human Rights Watch.
Before the crackdown, the annual average for minors in juvenile detention centers was 805 (2018-2021).

What’s Next?

El Salvador’s hardline security policies continue to draw international scrutiny, with human rights concerns clashing against the government’s claim of restoring order.

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