Nine dead in Brazil juvenile jail

In Brazil, nine juvenile detainees died after a fire broke out during a riot. The incident occurred when inmates tried to lit a mattress. The facility, located in the city of Goiania, is used to temporarily hold minors between the ages of 13 and 17.

A lawyer for the human rights commission of state of Goias said, the riot took place following an attempt by administrators to move some of the detainees from one cell to



another.

The lawyer said, the centre is only equipped to hold 50 people but often has more than 80 or 90 inmates. He said, the cells are small and overcrowded, and there is a significant lack of staff.

Brazil has one of the largest prison populations in the world. Experts estimate that up to 40 percent of prisoners have not been sentenced or are awaiting trial.