The revised Juvenile Law has taken effect, providing for harsher treatment of juvenile offenders. Under the revision, the youngest age at which one can be sent to a juvenile reformatory has been lowered to "around 12" from 14. While juvenile offenders under 14 cannot be held criminally responsible, the revision does allow a family court to send a juvenile offender under 14 to a reformatory. According to the Justice Ministry's interpretation, an 11-year-old fifth grader could be sent to a reformatory.
The purpose of a reformatory is not to punish, but to help juvenile offenders adjust themselves to social life through education and training. Even when a corrective step is necessary, authorities must consider whether children "around 12" are physically and psychologically mature enough to undergo the kind of corrective education that a reformatory dishes out.
The Justice Ministry is renovating some juvenile reformatories so that they can accommodate elementary school children. But it must be remembered that these facilities originally were not intended for children who have not yet completed compulsory education. Officials concerned must use utmost care in deciding whether to send children "around 12" to juvenile reformatories. Other options include sending them to children's self-reliance support facilities or letting them live with their families under the watch of rehabilitation workers.