These homes are meant for children during the pendency of trial in the courts. They used for evaluating their personality traits and behaviour. As such, these homes are viewed more as observation homes than as places of detention because nature of the offences committed by children are not as grievous or serious as those committed by adult.
In Tanzania we are having five juvenile institutions in regions of Tanga, Mbeya, Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Dar es Salaam which is not enough due to the number of children who need temporally and secured facilities to stay while awaiting to go to court or until a placement can be arranged. Often their crimes include such minor and petty offenses as vagrancy, loitering, truancy, begging, and being beyond a parent's control. For these slight infractions, children can be detained pending trial during the most formative. Human Dignity Tanzania is aiming in supporting individual plans for rehabilitation and mechanisms or programs to help children to reintegrate into society upon their release. Also helping children not to fall in conflict with the law which result them to be in the Retention Homes. At the moment we have been visiting Upanga Children Retention home and provide or small support like sugar, soap and other items.