An inmate at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Adult Institution in St Catherine peeks through the cell bars. - File

An increasing number of the nation's young girls are joining the ranks of hardened criminals. Toting guns and other weapons, stealing and running afoul of the law, girls are fast catching up with their male counterparts.

This trend is placing an even greater burden on the country's already struggling penal system.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has reported that approximately 2,000 girls between the ages of 13 and 17 have found themselves on the wrong side of the law in the past 10 years.

Most worrying is the fact that the number has been steadily increasing since 1999 when 10 young girls were placed in state care after being found guilty of crimes, while 76 other 'teen terrors' were handed non-custodial sentences.

climbing steadily

Since then the numbers have climbed steadily and in the first nine months of this year, 32 girls were sentenced to time in a correctional facility, while 185 were handed non-custodial sentences.

Many of the girls have been branded uncontrollable by the judicial system because of their involvement in illicit activities.

"They are so deemed by the court because of behavioural problems, such as truancy, involvement in gangs, prostitution, drugs, and pornography," Ina Fairweather, director of planning, research and evaluation at the Department of Correctional Services told The Sunday Gleaner .

While the most frequent crime committed by female juveniles is wounding, some have also been found guilty of murder and illegal possession of firearm.

Only last week, a 13-year-old girl was arrested in Montego Bay after an illegal gun was found in her school bag.

Girls also feature heavily among the number of teenagers who are listed missing. Many of these have run away from home and some end up involved in illegal activities.

Girls convicted of the major crimes are incarcerated while others found guilty of lesser crimes are usually given non-custodial sentences that are community based.

out of control

According to the DCS, most of the girls incarcerated during the past 10 years were placed in the custody of the State because they were considered out of control.

Fairweather said that the increase in the number of girls getting into trouble with the law is posing challenges to the limited infrastructure of the local prison system.

In addition, the uncontrollable girls "pose behavioural challenges" for correctional facilities.

Simply put: the penal system cannot adequately deal with the increased population of young girls.

However, Fairweather said plans were being developed to create additional facilities, including a rehabilitation village.

playing its part

She indicated the department of correctional services was playing its part in trying to turn the young girls from a life of crime.

"Specialised training for staff, additional psychological and psychiatric support, and behaviour-modification programmes are some of the systems employed by the department to assist in deterring the juveniles from becoming repeat offenders," Fairweather claimed.

However, the DCS believes stemming the increase in juvenile crime requires an integrated approach involving all the stakeholders.

The department was unable to provide data on the number of girls who are repeat offenders as no system is in place to track the occurrences.

But the DCS says such a system is on the horizon as a tracer study will be implemented in the near future.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com