In general, juvenile offenders still fall under the Youth Protection Act, but there are rare cases where adult criminal laws are applied. A stint at the juvenile prison usually lasts between four and six months, during which inmates take part in extensive therapy sessions. The goal is to get them back on the right path rather than locking them away for life.
After a sentence has ended, the offenders are usually transferred to a different facility or allowed to go home, where they also continue to be supervised. This does however not mean that anyone below the age of 18 is simply let out after six months, regardless of the crime.
The prosecutor's youth protection service receives around 1,250 files per year. The more severe cases are forwarded to a judge, who is able to penalise a teenager above the age of 16 according to adult criminal law. This happens between six and twelve times annually. Less severe crimes can be punished with community service.
The juvenile prison in Dreiborn has twelve spots in total, out of which eleven are occupied at the moment.
