The government is likely to postpone the building of a child detention centre in 2015 because designs are not ready and the BOQ (bill of quantity) for the project in still being prepared.
Deputy Minister of Justice Ivo Jorge Valente said his ministry will factor the building of the centre into the 2016 state budget as it is expected to be a large amount.
“We will make some calculations and will submit the proposal for commission review for the 2016 state budget,” said DM Valente in his office in Colmera Dili.
The centre is scheduled to be build now only in 2016 at a proposed site in Tibar, Liquiça district. The centre will include training rooms and facilities to help the rehabilitation of the children.
Even though so far there isn’t a separate facility to house children in trouble with the law, the Ministry of Justice through the National Directorate for Prisons set up a separate installation at the Becora Adult Prison where the child prisoners are being held.
The Director of the Becora Prison Joao Domingos said the imprisoned children are being kept in a safe location of the prison specifically for underage prisoners and separate from the adult population.
Currently there are 28 child prisoners being held at the Becora Prison for committing adult crimes.
“Of the 28 prisoners, 22 have received final preventive detentions sentences. The cases of 5 others are still under process. One of the prisoners who suffers from a mental health condition is undergoing treatment,” said Director Domingos.
