I'm at Kumla – this is no place for a child

Torgny Jönsson, an inmate at Kumla prison, argues vehemently against the Swedish government's proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 and 14 years old. Writing from his cell, Jönsson asserts that prisons like Kumla are fundamentally unsuitable environments for children, describing them as places where "no dandelion children grow." He contends that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service has systematically failed in rehabilitating adult offenders and will be an "unwilling, inappropriate, and dangerous parent" if tasked with handling minors.

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Behind concrete, rebar, and barbed wire, no dandelion children grow. The Prison and Probation Service has systematically failed to rehabilitate adult criminals. Now they are to take care of children too. The authority will become an unwilling, inappropriate, and dangerous parent.

The author criticizes the justice minister and the Tidö coalition government for pushing through a "clearly populist" law despite significant opposition, including from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service itself. The new legislation, set to be voted on soon, would allow 15- to 17-year-olds to receive longer prison sentences starting July 1. The proposal also extends to 13- and 14-year-olds from August, with sentences likely to be served in the most isolated and stigmatized maximum-security facilities.

Jönsson, who has been labeled "the mafia's banker" in the media, draws a stark parallel between Sweden's current situation and its past exports. He laments that Sweden is now known for exporting young "child soldiers" who commit violent acts in neighboring countries for payment. He fears that the new policy will create a "child soldier 2.0," branded with the "Made in Kumla" mark, implying that Swedish prisons will become training grounds for hardened young criminals.

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Send no kids here.

The article highlights the potential conflict with international human rights standards, specifically Article 6.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly stated prohibits sentencing children to prison due to their young age and limited intellectual development. Jönsson's firsthand account from within Kumla prison serves as a powerful indictment of the proposed policy, painting a grim picture of the consequences for vulnerable youth.

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In just a few years, Sweden will be able to deliver a new and bestial product: Child Soldiers 2.0, quality-marked with the criminal status marker 'Made in Kumla'.