The level of youth criminality in Ukraine is high: each year, approximately 22,000 young people under the age of 18 come into conflict with the law.
More than 8,000 youth across the country are sentenced under the Criminal Code of Ukraine each year and more than 1400 youth are currently incarcerated in youth colonies. Many of these young people already have previous convictions.
The need for change is recognized within Ukraine's government and civil society organizations working with youth.
The Juvenile Justice Reform Project in Ukraine (UJJRP) aims to develop a more effective system of justice for young people that have committed crimes in order to:
- reduce crime levels amongst minors;
- better protect the rights of minors who come into conflict with the law; and
- when minors do get into trouble, to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into their communities.
An effective system of justice for youth offenders is one which:
- deals with minors in an age-appropriate manner, recognizing that minors are not yet adults;
- focuses on preventing crime, rather than simply punishing it;
- holds minors accountable for their actions but provides support for minors to help them resolve issues that may have contributed to their criminal behaviour and tries to prevent future criminal behaviour;
- involves family and community of the minor in developing solutions and
- protects the rights of minors.
