Swedish government will look into ankle monitors for criminal juveniles

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The Swedish government wants to look into ankle monitors as a way of monitoring young people in care for crimes or links to serious criminal activity, Swedish Social Affairs Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall told a press conference on Monday, amid a continued rise in gang violence.

Sweden continues to face a problem with gang violence, with a growing number of perpetrators under the age of 18, which tends to complicate the prosecution process as well as the reintegration of young people into civilian life.

“Sweden is in an extremely serious situation,” Social Affairs Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall said at Monday’s press conference.

To put an end to “the recruitment of children and young people into criminal gangs”, as called for by Grönvall, the government presented a series of measures, including looking into whether social services should be able to use electronic surveillance as part of their toolkit.

The aim is to ensure that young people undergo specific treatments, abstain from alcohol or other drugs, stay at home and thus avoid criminal environments.

The research will also examine whether children and young adults should wear ankle monitors once placed in care homes to ensure that young people do not relapse into criminal behaviour.

“It is important that they are not immediately drawn back into gangs,” said Grönvall, pointing out that perpetrators and victims are getting younger while the crimes are becoming more serious.

According to the Swedish police, there are currently 1,725 confirmed people under the age of 18 in criminal gangs but the actual number is probably much higher.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)