An overcrowded prison for minors and the fact that a young delinquent had to be released due to lack of space caused a kerfuffle last week. MPs therefore had a number of questions to the ministers in charge during a question time on Tuesday afternoon.
The topic was not just whether the Unisec prison in Dreiborn with its 12 spots was too small, but also the concept of supervision for delinquent minors more generally. Sam Tanson replied to a question by MPs Françoise Hetto-Gaascht and Dan Biancalana, saying that reforms are already ongoing, with a number of questions already raised when the Unisec opened in 2017.
According to her, it was unclear from the start what role exactly the Unisec fulfilled and who it was meant to house. A vulnerable kid who ran away from home and refuses to follow rules elsewhere is not the same as someone arrested for a violent mugging or even worse offense.
While the same law was applied to all cases in the past, the plan is to make a distinction between someone who has trouble at home and someone who broke the law. While one often leads to the other, this is not always true. Of course there is still a need for a closed unit for minors who committed a grave offense. The adult prison in Schrassig is not an option. The new juvenile justice bill governing this will be introduced this year, Sam Tanson stressed.
The youth protection aspect falls under the purview of the Minister for Education. Claude Meisch explained that there will be a need for several further facilities in order to guarantee proper support for affected minors, with the aim of reintegrating them into normal life. This can be back into their family, or to school, vocational training or even straight into professional life. The support offered today at the Centre socio-educativ de l’Etat in Dreiborn is not sufficient, but unfortunately it is the only option currently available.
The boarding home in Dreiborn next door to the Unisec also urgently requires renovations and a new concept, as it was no longer adapted to today’s educational and pedagogical needs.
