Country

Germany

Detention issue

Juvenile prisoners

FRA research findings

View details

Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Youth Court Act (Jugendgerichtsgesetz)Juvenile detention is ordered by youth courts against juveniles aged from 14 to 17 years (Jugendliche) or adolescents aged from 18 to 20 years (Heranwachsende) if, as a result of the harmful inclinations demonstrated by the juvenile during the act, supervisory measures or disciplinary measures are not sufficient for the purposes of supervision or if such a penalty is necessary given the seriousness of the juvenile’s guilt. Juvenile detention or youth penalty (Jugendstrafe) is organised in special juvenile detention facilities.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2015The NPM noted that the visited detention facilities were well staffed and that the prison staff is trained for interaction with young offenders in most Länder. Moreover, specialists such as social workers or psychiatrists reported good cooperation with the ordinary prison staff. However, the NPM recommended improvements to protect the privacy of juvenile prisoners, e.g. special security cells (besonders gesicherte Hafträume), shower rooms and during strip searches. Report details