Human Rights Watch: New Salvadoran Penal Reforms Represent a Danger to Minors

Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that recent penal reforms approved by the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly put children and adolescents in grave danger by allowing them to be transferred to adult prisons.

According to HRW, the new penal reform violates international standards of juvenile justice and exposes minors to conditions of abuse and torture within the Salvadoran prison system.

El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly has approved measures that will transfer children to the country’s adult prison system, exposing them to a heightened risk of abuse and violating international juvenile justice standards. Human Rights Watch.

On February 2025, President Nayib Bukele signed the penal reform into law, mandating that minors accused of crimes related to organized crime be housed in separate wards within adult prisons.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) argues that this separation does not adequately ensure incarcerated minor’s safety and well-being.

The legislative changes place children under the authority of El Salvador’s adult prison administration, which has been responsible for torture and other grave abuses. Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch reports that since the State of Exception security measure was implemented in March 2022, over 3,000 minors have been detained, many without clear ties to criminal activity.

SEE ALSO: El Salvador State of Exception; A Security Measure Implemented to Fight Gangs

Additionally, HRW notes that at least 1,065 minors had been convicted of “illegal associations charges,” which often have been based on unreliable evidence and without proper due process protections.

HRW also emphasized the overcrowding and abusive conditions in Salvadoran prisons, where at least 368 people have died during the state of emergency.

Detainees in adult prisons are cut off from the outside world and denied any meaningful legal recourse. Many face extreme overcrowding, torture, and violence, and have severely limited access to basic services like food, water, and medical care. Human Rights Watch.

“Placing children in adult prisons will only worsen their exposure to abuse and undermine their chances of rehabilitation,” remarked Juanita Goebertus.

The Bukele administration has not addressed Human Rights Watch’s criticism. However, they maintain that their tough measures have reduced violence, making El Salvador the safest country in Latin America.