What Is Going On In Juvenile Jail?

It was utopia to enter the juvenile jail and make reportage there. However, we did our best; we hoped maybe we should be lucky and they would let us in. With similar groundless hopes we started correspondence with Public Relation Office within the Penitentiary Department. Two weeks later we received a letter.

“We reply on your application that Common Administrative Code, Article III defines various kinds of information and estimates the accessibility to public information. According to the Article 2, section “L’ of the same code and some other legislative norms, implementation of the activities you mentioned in your letter cannot be defined as issuing public information,” wrote spokesman of the Georgian Ministry of Justice.

Human Rights Center (HRIDC) petitioned to the Penitentiary Department and asked permission to enter the juvenile jail, make reportage, and take photos there as well as to interview officials from the administration. The reason for refusal was verified by above-mentioned arguments and code definition.

Having received the reply, the Human Rights Center got in touch with Salome Makharadze, spokeswoman of the Penitentiary Department and demanded her to explain the reason of refusal. Salome Makharadze was short in her comments: “We discussed your application and considered you should not enter the prison. Director of the prison does not want to give an interview to you. As for the letter, lawyers beat you in the game of words,” it was the obscure answer of the spokeswoman to the journalist for the HRIDC who could not realize what Makharadze meant in her words.

Nevertheless, being encouraged by Salome Makharadze’s words “send questions to me and I will try to reply as soon as possible,” the HRIDC continued correspondence with the Penitentiary Department. We sent the spokeswoman questions enclosed with two more urging letters to confirm the acceptance of their letters. However, those letters were not replied at all.

The Penitentiary Department states on its web-site that “Public Relation Office is ready to provide: gratification of public interest and cooperation with mass media. We are ready to issue the public information envisaged under the law of transparency to journalists and society on estimated time”. 
 
Consequently, the Human Rights Center decided to publish the list of questions that were not replied by the Penitentiary Department.

1. How many condemned are in juvenile prison?
2. How many condemned live in one cell?
3. How much is the space of each cell?
4. As far as we know the prison was built to place only 75 prisoners but now there are much more condemned there. How could you explain us the situation?
5. Does your department plan to expansion of the prison?
6. How much satisfactory are the living conditions in prison (their nourishment, etc)
7. What is the schedule for dating?
8. How much available is over-phone connection for the condemned?
9. How is the investigation on rebels going on?
10. What other sources does the department have to avoid rebels except Special Forces?
11. According to the spread information, the Special Forces arrived at the prison in the evening. The condemned were taken to Rustavi Prison # 2 on the next day only. If riot unleashed in prison and it was necessary to call for Special Forces, why did prisoners spend the whole night at prison?
12.  How many condemned are in Rustavi Prison # 2?
13. As it became known, nearly 120 prisoners were taken to Rustavi Prison #2. WE wonder all 120 condemned took part in the riot?
14. How can you prove that all of them took part in the riot and it was necessary to take them to the prison?
15. When do you plan to brink them back?
16. How often do prisoners have arguments?
17. What kind of methods of punishment is used in jail?
18. Are prisoners provided with psychological assistance?
19. We want to know exact reason why director of the jail refused to meet journalists.

In the nearest future the Public Defender’s Office will present the report on the riot in jail on August 13. It is noteworthy that over 100 juveniles were transported to Rustaveli Prison # 2 and 64 out of them will spend three months in prison.

Since current director of juvenile jail refused to converse with the Human Rights Center, the journalist got in touch with Khatuna Japava, former director of the jail. She said that the main problem for the jail is increased number of condemned juveniles. The building was not constructed for so many prisoners and in similar situation the institution loses its function-to rehabilitate and to reintegrate juveniles in society.

“Initially the jail was intended for 75 people but now there are over two hundred condemned there. Initially there was one large room where everybody was placed together but afterwards I demanded to divide the room into small cells in order to create a bit comfort for children. Later, when the number of juveniles increased I was to place double beds in cells. I unsuccessfully offered the Penitentiary Department several plans for the expansion of the jail. There are UN regulations regarding juvenile issues but Bacho Akhalaia, the head of the department, does not know anything about them’’ – declares Khatuna Japava.

Strange Indifference

‘’When we decided to repair the prison in September of 2006 we applied to Bacho Akhalaia and asked him to take condemned juveniles to another building temporarily in order to avoid accidents. Large amount of construction materials, nails, hammers and other blunt stuff were brought to the jail. It is strange but Akhalaia did not pay attention to the demand. It was quite normal for him to bring a lot of blunt tools to the jail where there are nearly 150 condemned juveniles. Fortunately, the repair-works finished without any incidents. The children respected me so much that they did not think of committing any crimes. Anyway, I still cannot understand why Akhalaia ran such a great risk at that time’’, - recalls Khatuna Japava.

Riot or So-called Riot

“As soon as Special Forces unit arrived at the place the children called me and urged for help. They could not understand what they wanted from them,” recalled Khatuna Japava. “When they send Special Force unit to the jail at 9:00 PM it means something very serious is happening there and nobody can eradicate the problem. According to the spread information, different groups of juveniles had argument between each other; though children categorically deny the fact. Special Force unit did not enter the jail that night and they left rebelled children there. On the second day 120 children were taken to Rustavi Prison # 2. It is strange why so many children were transported? They should not have treated children so. The worst results will be received if child is punished by mistake,” said Khatuna Japava.

Psychologists Assist Condemned Juveniles

Psycho-Social and Medical Rehabilitation Center for trafficked victims has been implementing the project organized by the European Commission since November of 2006. The project aimed to carry our rehabilitation works within the penitentiary system. Special groups were set up in juvenile jails a year ago and psychologists work with group therapy.

Maia Tsiramua, (a psychologist): ’’As soon as you enter the jail you notice mistrust on their faces. The reason is current situation in the jail. They acquire similar feeling before they enter the prison. They test you in everything during meeting. They ask a lot of questions and create some navy and childish situations; consequently you guess that they are just trying you and you should do your best to gain their trust. When juveniles start telling short stories about their lives, you start gaining their trust already.”

“Our organization is carrying out interesting work with condemned juveniles. Groups are established with maximum three psychologists in each of them. The schedule of those groups is prepared by the prisoners themselves. It must be pointed out that condemned juveniles have similar rules to old criminals. Everybody knows that they should not be late, should not make noises, respect and assist each other, etc. We start our work to find out what opinions juveniles have about themselves. It is noteworthy that those young people know too little about themselves and the only information they have is negative. One child told me that his parents always told him what not to do. However, parents never told him how to behave and never set good examples to him,”- said Maia Tsiramua.

Jail administration appreciated the introduction of psychologists into the custody. “They always supported us. Children have good relationships with teachers. School director is perfect person and teachers do much for children,” said Tsiramua.

Another problem is unpromising situation of juveniles that is easily observed by psychologists. “They cannot see any prospects in their lives. The only chance for them is traveling abroad. The reason for their spiritual condition is the society. Juveniles know that former prisoners will not be good friends and colleagues in the future,” said Tsiramua.

Maia Tsiramua has been working in prison for a year already and she feels happy when she observes positive results. “We have gained their trust. Their mistrust in future also vanishes and started thinking about future. Some of them want to learn English, others want to learn computer programs and there are people who are eager to take National Exams,” said Tsiramua.

Tsiramua stated that the biggest problem for condemned juveniles is the feeling of being victim. “They do not plead themselves guilty and claim that they got into prison because of other people’s faults. Psychologists assist juveniles to realize their own crimes in order to avoid similar mistakes in future. We have succeeded in this field. It is very difficult to work with children who have killed people. They worry about it, they see the murdered people in their dreams and in nightmares,” said the psychologist.

Parents Avoid Speaking about the Problem

HRIDC got in touch with the parents of the condemned juveniles. They avoid speaking about their children and try to give short replies about the situation in prison. The reason is very simple-if they speak much their children might encounter problems in jail.

Parent # 1: “Generally children try to speak little about the situation in jail. Thus I cannot tell you much. The only thing I know is that my son has become person since he was placed in jail. Is it normal to place 200 and 300 children together and not to employee them at all? How can we dream about their reintegration in society?”

Parent # 2: “What can I tell you? You know everything very well and my speech might cause problems for my child. I am afraid he will be taken to Rustavi Prison again. After the riot my son spent two weeks in Rustavi. Nobody knows why they were taken there. Children do not say everything; so I do not know what’s going on inside. They do not have any hopes in life. When they leave prison they will be under the influence of the prison for a long time. We wonder why 120 children were taken to Rustavi prison. What kind of riot they are speaking about? If one child started the quarrel, could not the whole staff calm him down without additional forces? Children are continuously under serious oppression and Special Forces should not have threatened them. I am sure if Ms. Khatuna were a director, similar accident should not have occurred.

Parent # 3: “I think they have normal conditions in jail. When Khatuna Japava was the director, children were more protected. Since the new director was appointed we are not that much sure about the safety of our children. The only thing I like is that clergyman visits the jail, reads Bible to children and gives them Eucharist.

Parent # 4: “My son does not speak about problems. As far as I know he feels well.”

There is one Georgian proverb: It is better to see once than hear hundred times. But if you deal with the Penitentiary Department within the Georgian Ministry of Justice, you should not hope to see what you are interested in. So you must hear the story for the hundredth time…

Nino Tarkhnishvili, Tbilisi