The effectiveness of custodial educational measures in the social reintegration of young offenders

• In Event: Who Looks Out for the Children: Parents, Youth Services, or Educators?

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the analysis of custodial educational measures, a category of sanctions applicable to minors and youth who have committed crimes. The institutionalization of juveniles and young offenders who perform a custodial educational measure in an educational centre raises a number of challenges both economic and social with direct consequences in terms of the effectiveness of their resocialization and reintegration into society after release. This is why it was felt necessary to make an important change in the criminal and social policies for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency in Romanian society. Also, the prevention, intervention and post-intervention modalities carried out by the institutions with a role in the socialization, adaptation and social control of young people have been considerably diversified.
The research participants are professionals (educators, social workers, psychologists and administrative staff) who works in an educative centre in West of Romania and who participated in two focus groups. The intervention of specialists, focused mainly on education, work, religion and cultural, recreational and sports activities, must respond to the principle of individualization, must be modulated by the personality needs of each, based primarily on the individual resources of each. Our research demonstrates that all these results can be achieved only through continuous and adequate training of professionals working with juvenile delinquents. The research conclusions show us that the educational measure of internment in an educative centre must activate processes of responsibility, favoring the change of personal lifestyles and social and family relations. Conclusions will also be drawn regarding the request for special treatment of young offenders and the need for integration and reintegration. The institutions must respond to requests for a special treatment consistent with the personality of juveniles and individual education needs.

Authors

• Roxana Ungureanu, West University of Timisoara

• Mihaela Alida Tomita, West University of Timisoara