The so-called Security Unit, Unisec in short, has reached capacity limits.
Aside from Minister of Justice Sam Tanson, who has acknowledged the issue, Unisec director Ralph Schroeder also agrees that something needs to be done.
In his view, intermediary holding facilities may turn out to be the most adequate solution to fight overcrowding.
The juvenile prison in Dreiborn is currently full, all twelve available spots being filled by 16- and 17-year-olds.
Their offences mostly include minor delinquencies, but also more serious crimes, such as break-ins and assaults.
Youth judges are the ones to decide who is being sent to the Dreiborn facility.
However, it was recently the case that a minor offender was released because there was no room available in Dreiborn.
It is not the first time this has happened. In spite of regular rotations, offenders still tend to stay in Dreiborn for up to four months.
During that time, efforts are channeled to help the adolescents get to a point where they can be transferred out of the juvenile prison as soon as possible.
There is simply not enough space, director Schroeder emphasised, the outside court being especially too small. The facility is not designed for long-term stays, he underlined.
A youth judge reevaluates each case concerning a minor every three months, before deciding how to proceed. Released offenders are either sent to open structures, or may return home, depending on the family situation.
When asked about the possibility of expanding the enclosed structure, director Schroeder advocated for the creation of intermediary facilities, which could operate both in a closed and an open manner, depending on individual cases.
The care staff at the Dreiborn facility is composed out of educators, social workers, psychologists, and psychotherapists. Speaking from experience, director Schroeder explained that the majority of offenders manage to straighten out their lives after having spent time in Dreiborn. Multiple offenders are the exception and not the norm, director Schroeder concluded.
