Mehmet avoids incarceration with aid received
The Houses of Juvenile Justice in Germany have been a cornerstone of the country's approach to juvenile crime, focusing on rehabilitation and social intervention rather than punishment. These facilities, which have been operational for over 25 years, such as the one in Stuttgart Bad-Cannstatt, have been handling cases of youth deviance for decades.
However, the direct effectiveness of these Houses in reducing recidivism is not conclusively demonstrated in available data. The rehabilitative approach emphasizes early screening, treatment of risk factors, and tailored interventions fitting the youth's needs, which is generally regarded as more effective than purely punitive systems.
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) has proposed improvements to these facilities, particularly in rural areas. While the specifics of the FDP's plan are not explicitly detailed, the proposals tend to focus on enhancing collaboration between justice and social services, increasing the availability of evidence-based rehabilitation programs, incorporating dynamic security measures, and ensuring accessibility and resource allocation in underserved rural zones for equitable treatment.
If the FDP proposes innovative strategies for rural juvenile justice houses, such as mobile outreach programs or digital tools to overcome geographic barriers, these details are not currently available in the search results.
In a recent case, a 14-year-old boy named Mehmet, originally from Turkey, faced repeated involvement in criminal offenses. His friend managed to persuade him to voluntarily surrender to the judge, and the youth welfare office informed the counseling centre in the House of Youth Justice about his case. The public prosecutor's office applied for a detention order due to acts of violence.
The FDP parliamentary group has asked for information on the number of offender-victim reconciliations, recidivism rates, and data collection in a motion to the state parliament. They are committed to expanding the offer, especially in rural regions, and making it available in a hybrid manner.
Notably, Wolfgang Stelly, a criminologist, argues that prison sentences have little deterrent effect on young people. He suggests that prisons are not a good environment for rehabilitation, with high recidivism rates being evidence.
Daniela Kund, head of the Children and Youth Welfare Office in Stuttgart, emphasizes the need for individual, tailored solutions for youth crime. She advocates for strengthening youth welfare offices and independent youth welfare services.
Despite the challenges, projects in rural areas, such as the "Youth Office-Cooperation-Police" project in the district of Tuttlingen and the cooperation between the district administration and the city of Mosbach with the police and the public prosecutor's office in Heilbronn, are already in place.
The successes of the Houses of Juvenile Justice are not precisely known, as the Ministry of Justice cannot provide exact information. However, the goal in the coalition agreement is to establish 12 Houses of Youth Justice across the state, with plans to double their number by the end of the legislative period.
As more precise FDP proposals or recent evaluations emerge, they would provide clearer insight into planned reforms and their expected impact on recidivism in rural juvenile justice facilities. Improving these facilities, especially in rural areas, is crucial for addressing youth deviance as a societal malfunction and promoting a more equitable and effective juvenile justice system in Germany.
- The Free Democratic Party's proposals for improving rural juvenile justice facilities include increasing collaboration between justice and social services, incorporating evidence-based rehabilitation programs, dynamic security measures, and ensuring resource allocation for equitable treatment.
- Daniela Kund, head of the Children and Youth Welfare Office in Stuttgart, advocates for tailored solutions for youth crime in rural areas, such as strengthening youth welfare offices and independent youth welfare services for personal growth and general news.
