Children First, Winter 2007: Care in Detention

A team from the Children First project made three visits to MOJ institutions in Bergama, İzmir and Kayseri in October 2006 to monitor the impact of training on staff working with children deprived of their liberty.

Buca Children’s Reform Centre, İzmir

The Buca Centre hosts the smallest number of children — 11 boys — and a total of 63 personnel, 15 of whom are temporarily assigned to Buca Prison. Staff meetings are held on a monthly basis and management meets with staff representatives on a weekly basis to discuss any problems or issues that may arise. Communication amongst staff appears to have been strengthened by regular training and roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Training sessions are particularly effective since all staff attend and the sessions also appear to have helped family relations at home. Most of the children attend school. They reported feeling more comfortable talking to security personnel and administrative staff.

Since visiting is on Sunday, psycho–social personnel are unable to meet and work with the children’s families. Staff encounter problems where children attempt to abuse the more understanding approach they have acquired during the course of their training. Staff also expressed the opinion that training would be still more effective if the turnover in personnel were to be minimised.

Bergama Child Detention Centre

The Bergama Child Detention Centre hosts 212 children and a staff of 40 guardians. Two psychologists are able to conduct training with children and their visiting families. Since the number of personnel is limited, children are only able to participate through a system of rotation. Children also tend to stay awake at night, which creates problems since the night shift is very limited and there are no psycho–social personnel in attendance. However, staff report that they have more influence over the children’s behaviour since they began training and the children reciprocate by being more communicative.

An overall improvement was noted, although teamwork still appears to be problematic including communication between personnel. A greater general awareness of children’s rights, a 90% reduction in incidents of self mutilation and a decline in sexual abuse amongst the children in their care were noted. Staff reported a variety of issues related to understaffing and infrastructure affecting security, teamwork and their capacity to focus on their roles as carers.

The number of children exceeds the capacity of the institution: in some cases there are eighteen children in a ward designed to house no more than ten. However, the Ministry of Justice has taken immediate steps to improve conditions in the institution. Over 100 adults are also housed in the same institution, making it more difficult for personnel to adjust their attitudes.

Kayseri İncesu Child Detention Centre

Six guards, one teacher and one psychologist care for twenty–two children at the İncesu Detention Centre. Family training sessions are conducted on an individual basis and cases are followed–up after the child’s release. Children keep regular hours, waking at eight, sleeping at eleven and following a busy day of activities between these hours. Staff report a better, more comfortable and patient attitude towards the children and communication between children and staff is stronger and more positive.

The main problems are that İncesu has no psycho–social support, the teacher is about to retire and the staff quota is insufficient, especially during the night shift.

Initial reports

Discussions with staff and children at the three centres showed that personnel were more aware of their responsibilities towards the children. The children reported that staff were treating them with greater dignity and respect.

Behavioural changes require more time, however: the heavy work load and poor physical conditions of the institutions continued to hamper the ability of administrative and other staff to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills in the most effective manner. It was also noted that there were more children in the closed detention centres than in the open reform house where trained staff appeared to be more at ease in practicing their new, more child–friendly skills.

Staff in all three institutions generally felt that training should be longer and more detailed with regular refreshment sessions and that more training was required on children’s rights and team work.

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