Children's prison part 1 of 3

Prison: definition n.
1. A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention, especially persons convicted of crimes. 2. A place or condition of confinement or forcible restraint.
3. A state of imprisonment or captivity.


When there is a need to make this capitol city look more presentable to leaders of other nations, especially from western countries, there is increased enforcement of laws/rules that most times seem to be ignored. Vendors selling candies, newspapers, air time, Bibles, trinkets are "evicted" from their sidewalk space...because they take up space that would be used by pedestrians and are unseemly. Beggars haunting the median strips of the biggest city streets are rounded up and taken to jail or prison, or simply hauled far from town as in the case of Karamajong tribe members. Thieves and pickpockets are also caught, where possible, and removed.

Among those collected are children who are living on the streets, doing whatever it takes to survive. Some of the children are used by adults for begging, toddlers and very young ones; these go with the adult to prison if there is no one else who will take the baby to care for it. Older kids sometimes have the misfortune to be away from their parent when the sweep occurs and are caught up with others who really are street kids. There are many children and young teens who have no place to live, or perhaps no way to get back to their family.

This last group is among those taken to Kampriengisa Rehabilitation Center, some 50 km from Kampala. Designed in the late 1950's as a rehabilitation and training center for youthful criminal offenders, its purpose and use has changed some over the years. Currently it houses 200+ children, ages 3 to 18. Since street kids don't usually have identification and many speak only their home/tribal language, it is difficult, or even impossible, to tell the real age of the child or teen, never mind who or where the parents could be found.

The 3 year old who lives there belongs to a 15 year old prostitute. Upon discovering that the child was being used in the sex business, a social worker removed the child from the mom before the mom went to Luzira prison. While the mom has since been released, and has returned to her work, the social workers and court permit only supervised visits with her daughter at Kampriengisa. There is the hope that some day the mom will find a better way to support herself and then can take the daughter.

There are stories of children being remanded to Kampriengisa through the local courts when a step parent makes the case for the child being willfully stubborn (disobedient). Only about 20 of the children there have actually been convicted of criminal activity and have a sentence to serve. All the others, unless claimed by a family member and given permission by the court, will stay until they turn 18.