Juvenile Hall in Salamanca

Yesterday, I went to visit a juvenile hall for kids from the streets of Lima in Salamanca. This jail had about 32 girls from ages 14 to 17 and two very young kids, a 3 year old and a 5 year old that were there with their mothers.

It doesn't look like a typical prison. There was a volleyball court, television, and tons of giggling and gossiping girls. But surrounding the institution were gates, reminding the girls that they couldn't leave. I asked a lot of them, why they were there. Most of them just told me, that they were in trouble. Others said that it was because they stole something or that they were caught smoking. Ruben told me that a lot of the girls, were prostituting and that's why they were in jail, but I don't know this for sure. According to law, any sexual act against a minor would be the fault of the person that committed the act, it would be considered rape. However in Peru, and even in our country, girls that are forced into this profession are the ones that are prosecuted.

But I didn't want to talk to these girls about that today. I just wanted to talk with them and have fun with them for a while. When Ruben, my friend Camilla and I arrived we had a bag of fresh bread and fruit juice for the girls. Lucky for us we arrived during their lunch. As we walked into the cafeteria all of the girls stood up and said in unison "Good Afternoon Senor, Good Afternoon Senoritas. Thank you for your visit" (In Spanish of course). It was so cute. The girls were so happy that we came to visit. One of the girls said to Ruben that no one has come to visit them for 3 months. I couldn't believe that not even some of the girls parents came to visit.

I asked the girls if they've liked living there. They said that they really didn't, they missed their houses or the streets of Lima. I also asked if they had any school there, and they said no they didn't have any school but they would like to have it. When I asked them what they did all day, they pretty much just spent time with their friends.

I have mixed emotions about places like this. It is good that the girls are off the streets for a while and they have food and a they are in a safe place. What I am not happy with is how these young girls are pretty much rotting there. Those girls would not be there if it wasn't for their families situation. Because they are from poor families they got involved in drugs or stealing or prostitution and the jail that they are in is just making it worse. They aren't given options to do anything different with their lives. No one is showing them how to change.