Young offenders from the Northern Division are in prison primarily because of drug-related offences and theft.
Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) acting commissioner Salote Panapasa said most of the young individuals come from dysfunctional families.
“However, for most of the young offenders, they committed minor offences,” she said.
Ms Panapasa said this presented a significant challenge for corrections officers tasked with reshaping their characters and attitude.
“It’s quite a big challenge for the corrections officers to mould them,” she said.
In addition to their regular duties, she said these offenders also take on the role of parental figures for children in prison.
“This is apart from their usual duty,” she said, adding this was presently the biggest challenge in prison.
