A Paraguayan juvenile criminal facility, known as the Panchito López Center, virtually ignored every international standard pertaining to juvenile incarceration. The conditions were grossly inadequate for the interning of children, specifically: overpopulation, overcrowding, lack of sanitation, inadequate infrastructure and prison guard staff that was both too small and poorly trained. This was the first case where the Court established standards for the young people’s detention conditions. At that time, the law did not establish that a custodial sentence should only be passed as a last resort and for the shortest possible time, particularly in the case of minors. The Court found that the State violated the American Convention on Human Rights.
Case Summary: Juvenile Reeducation Institute v. Paraguay, Case Summary