A surge in gang-related shootings over the last decade — dozens of which were carried out by minors — has motivated Sweden to get tough by sending children under 15 to prison rather than turning them over to social services. Police estimate that there are 17,500 active gang members and 50,000 associates, and they’re using social media to recruit teenagers. Under a new proposed law, the age of criminal responsibility will be lowered from 15 to 13, and minors convicted of the most serious crimes will be locked up in special prisons designed for housing minors. Rosersberg Prison (pictured), north of Stockholm, is being rebuilt for the most violent teenage offenders. Life behind bars there will focus on schooling. In their free time, prisoners may watch television, play video games, or train in the gym. Cells will be locked from 8 p.m. each evening. Until now, Sweden's worst juvenile offenders have been dealt with by social services, but that system is widely seen as a failure.
