The number of Russian underage criminals has fallen by 20% over the last three years, Russia's child ombudsman, Pavel Astakhov, said on Tuesday.
Astakhov said the number of children has dropped by 300,000 annually and the decline would continue over the next 15 years even despite the current positive demographic situation in the country.
"We have seen a 20-23% drop in juvenile crime over the last three years. But there should be no illusions because the number of children has also been falling," Astakhov said at a meeting with Alexander Reimer, head of Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service.
The child ombudsman said some 5,000 underage criminals are serving sentences in 62 juvenile correction facilities.
"Today we are considering redesigning juvenile correction facilities into social rehabilitation and adaptation centers for children," Astakhov said.
MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti)
