Firstly, I do not believe that lowering the age of criminal responsibility will prevent gangs recruiting younger kids. Instead of fourteen-year-olds, who are currently below the age of criminal responsibility of 15, gangs will recruit 11 or 12-year-olds into criminal networks. Both Polismyndigheten and Åklagarmyndigheten share this concern. Polismyndigheten is the Swedish government owned agency responsible for the police and Åklagarmyndigheten is a Swedish government owned agency that investigates and prosecutes crimes and ensures that offenders are held accountable in an effective and legally secure maner. They also believe that the preposition is going to make the gangs recruit even younger children. Children are immature and easier to manipulate into, for example, placing a bomb on someone’s doorstep if they're promised a large sum of money.

Tuva has an important point during our interview, when she explains how the lowered age of criminal responsibility could lead to mental illnesses amongst the imprisoned teens. They are children that need their parents and locking them up will not make them better people. She also thinks that it will give them a distorted view of society. I agree because kids and teenagers discover and learn about the world for the first time. It may be hard for them to catch up with others when they get released. When other people their age has friends and drivers’ licenses, they might have nothing. Only being able to relate to other people in your situation can unfortunately be another reason for more teenagers to continue in criminal circles.

To get more perspectives on the topic, I interviewed Oskar, who thinks that lowering the age of criminal responsibility is a good idea. According to Oskar, the decision is going to protect society from the people who have committed crimes. However, he admits that more is required to prevent gangs from recruiting even younger children. Oskar also believes that for young people not to continue their lives in criminal circles, prisons need to have good resources with rehabilitation programs and opportunities to study. But Kriminalvården themselves say that they are not fully prepared to receive 14-year-olds, let alone 13-year-olds. It requires building their own wards and classrooms in the prisons. The government has rushed through the proposal, which is going to be introduced on August 12 and then be valid for the next 5 years. Leaving little time for Kriminalvården to adapt. I agree that help is needed in prisons to avoid relapse into criminality. This requires that the teenagers who are in jail receive proper education, and if Kriminalvården can’t arrange it, the risk of relapse is high. Kriminalvården is responsible for managing prisons and probation in Sweden, with a focusing on rehabilitation.

The current government agency responsible taking care of teens in criminal circles is Sis. Sis provides compulsory care and closed youth care. Kriminalvården struggles with building new wards and classrooms, at the same time that the Sis youth homes are being shut down. Criticism regarding lack of resource and worn down premises’ are a few reasons for the closure, together with the fact that the residents instead will be placed in jail. When we already have Sis homes, wouldn’t it be smarter for the government to invest in those instead of building bigger prisons?

Playground. Image: Hedvig.

In conclusion, the lowered age of criminal responsibility will probably not make a major difference for gangs. Instead are even younger children likely going to get recruited. Rehabilitation and education is important to not continue the criminal life after released. Unfortunately, might Kriminalvården not have time to prepare enough to take care of 13- and 14-year-olds. I believe this will lead to a high chance of relapse into criminality.