MOLSA MINISTER ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IMPROVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000147

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y DELETING INFO ADDEE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2018
TAGS: PHUM KDEM KJUS PGOV PINS IZ
SUBJECT: MOLSA MINISTER ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IMPROVING
JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Classified By: PolCouns Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) SUMMARY: In a January 13 meeting, the Minister of
Labor and Social Affairs expressed his enthusiasm for USG
support for alleviating the overcrowded conditions of the
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, (MOLSA) juvenile
facilities. He discussed near-term solutions such as
removing squatters from a MOLSA building in 7 Nissan,
expanding Tobschi juvenile detention facility, and adding
beds to another facility; but noted that these solutions were
insufficient and welcomed the USD 3.5 million that the USG is
offering to build a new juvenile detention facility.
However, MOLSA has still not come up with a location on which
to build the new facility. The Minister also welcomed the
idea of having a USG advisor attached to the Ministry. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mahmud Muhammad
Jawad al-Radi met with Baghdad PRTOffs and EmbOffs on January
13 to discuss ways to improve the juvenile justice system and
areas of cooperation between the USG and the Ministry. This
was al-Radi,s first meeting with Embassy officials since he
had refused to meet with Embassy officers after a June 2007
orphanage scandal in which an embedded CBS reporter covered
the Iraqi Army and U.S. military's joint rescue of 24 naked
and emaciated orphans tied to their beds in a Baghdad
facility, which prompted a hostile reaction from MOLSA. Dr.
Rijadh Glassou, Director General of juvenile vocational
training; Faris Sami, Director General of juveniles; and
Khadum Raov, the director of juvenile education were also
present.


3. (C) The Minister acknowledged that there is an
overcrowding problem in MOLSA,s juvenile facilities and
welcomed any help from the USG is solving this problem.
(Note: The two Baghdad-area MOLSA juvenile facilities are
currently about 250 juveniles over capacity. In addition,
there are 70 convicted juveniles who remain in Coalition
facilities because there is no space in Iraqi juvenile
facilities. End Note.) Al-Radi said that the Ministry has
its own funding and is adding 70-80 beds in an existing
facility and has plans to expand Tobschi juvenile facility to
include rooms for education and training. He commented,
however, that this is not enough to solve the problem, and
the long-term solution requires new buildings.


4. (C) The Provincial Reconstruction Development Committee
(PRDC) has approved a $3.5 million proposal from Baghdad PRT
to build a new juvenile facility in Baghdad. (Note: The
funds were approved six months ago, before the Embassy and
MNF-I decided they were getting out of the prison
construction business. End Note.) However, the facility will
require an empty five-acre plot of land, and so far the
Ministry has been unable to produce such a plot. Once land
has been designated for the project, it will take 18 months
to complete. When reminded that the money for this project
would not be available indefinitely, the Minister said he
would send a letter on January 15 that identified an
appropriate location. Other Ministry officials present said
they have identified a 13,000 square meter plot in 7 Nissan.
(Note: 13,000 square meters is less than five acres. The
Ministry did not present the promised letter on January 15,
and has been given a one-week ultimatum. End Note.)


5. (C) The Minister discussed an existing MOLSA facility in 9
Nissan as one possible near-term solution to the problem of
overcrowding in juvenile facilities. He described this as a
large building in good condition, but said there are
reportedly 50-52 families squatting in the building. The
Minister was adamant that these families should not be forced
out, which would exacerbate internal displacement; but
instead argued for negotiations and reparations. The
Ministry has already had unsuccessful negotiations with the
families and has offered up to $2,000 per family in
compensation for moving, but the families will not negotiate
further if the Ministry does not offer them a new place to
live. The Minister has set up a commission to talk to the
families and has given his Ministry two weeks to solve the
problem. He noted that it might be politically difficult to
move the families because most are affiliated with the
Sadrist party, and said he had ended up asking the Office of
the Martyr Sadr (OMS) for assistance in pressuring the
families to move.


6. (C) PRTOff suggested establishing greater U.S. cooperation
with the Ministry by placing a USG advisor in the Ministry.
The Minister welcomed this suggestion and said he would write
a letter to the Ambassador about it, adding that the
cooperation should focus on vocational training since 2008 is
the &Year of Vocational Training8 in the Ministry. He
stressed the Ministry would fully cooperate with the U.S. in
the future.



7. (C) COMMENT: Overcrowding is a serious problem in the
juvenile facilities and needs to be addressed as soon as
possible. MOLSA,s eagerness to work closely with the USG is
a good sign, and the issue of juvenile justice facility
overcrowding is a potential point of entry for greater
cooperation, which could include appointment of a USG advisor
to MOLSA. While the Minister seems enthusiastic about the
USG funding for his new building project, the fact that he
has so far been unable to provide a suitable plot of land
does not bode well for that project. However, the Minister
seemed genuine in his desire to provide more and better
facilities and programs for juveniles in detention, and the
USG should work closely with MOLSA in improving the juvenile
system. END COMMENT.
CROCKER