São Paulo’s juvenile detention system, Febem, is "an authentic and worsened replica of the corrections system" Marcelo Monteiro Attorney Ariel de Castro Alves comments the charges filed by the OAS against Febem, and speaks out on the repeated accusations of maltreatment. "I am afraid that Febem will replicate what happened in the corrections system in São Paulo and Rio, where the drug trade factions have, 'in practice', taken over prison administration," he said.

Demobilization of gang members from the perspective of a human rights activist COAV Newsroom* "Youths can show adults they are capable of creating a better world if they learn to come up with smarter alternatives in conflict resolution to fighting and killing each other," said Ecuadorian leader Nelsa Curbelo, president of the Ser Paz Corporation, in an interview granted to Medellin’s Instituto Popular de Capacitación (IPC).

Book analyzes recent policy on youth in conflict with the law and proposes reform for Brazil’s juvenile justice system Marcelo Monteiro Sociologist Maria Helena Zamora launches "Beyond bars", the book traces a history of detention centers in Brazil and presents two case studies of youths in conflict with the law. “We must question why so many adolescents are incarcerated,” said the author in an exclusive interview to COAV.

The state is directly or indirectly involved with armed groups in nine countries that took part in COAV study Marcelo Monteiro In the second half of an interview on the international COAV study, anthropologist Luke Dowdney speaks of police corruption, risk factors that lead youth to enter gangs, and best practices.

Pandillas and naciones: the growth of delinquent groups in Ecuador Carola Mittrany In an interview with COAV, local researcher Kleber Loor tells how repressive measures adopted by the Ecuadorean government led to a growth in juvenile gangs known as naciones.

The mara problem in El Salvador: breaking down stereotypes Carola Mittrany “The gang member has taken on a symbolic meaning, representing all that is wrong in El Salvador. And this does not correspond to reality,” says Marlon Carranza, local COAV researcher in El Salvador in an interview with the COAV site.

Brazilian book 'Cabeça de Porco' discusses urban violence and youth involved in the drug trade in nine Brazilian cities Marcelo Monteiro The Brazilian rapper MV Bill, businessman Celso Athayde and anthropologist Luis Eduardo Soares joined forces to address the involvemnt of adolescents in armed violence in Brazil. “We want to exterminate poor youth or to integrate them?” asked Luis Eduardo in an interview with COAV.

Corner and area gangs in Jamaica COAV Newsroom Michael Mogensen, COAV journalist and researcher, spoke on what it was like to research organised youth involvement in organised armed violence in Kingston.

Children in armed violence in Colombia: a problem of both society and state Carola Mittrany Iván Ramírez, researcher in Colombia for the COAV international study, on researching youth violence: "When I asked about one of the boys and they said that he had been killed, I felt impotent and a little responsible. You think, ‘we came too late’. But you also understand that it is a problem of both society and state".

International COAV study documents armed violence in ten countries Marcelo Monteiro Author and organiser of the book “Neither War nor Peace”, UK anthropologist Luke Dowdney speaks on the study, which includes 120 interviews with child and adolescent members of armed groups such as El Salvador's Mara Salvatrucha, Colombia's Bloques Cacique Nutibara and Chicago’s Black Gangster Disciples.