Mission
The program provides professional support, help and counselling to adolescent malefactors when solving the consequences of their illegal acts; it strives for their integration to normal life and decreases risk of their relapses.
Target groups
The target groups of the program are adolescent malefactors, both men as well as women, aged 15-18 (rarely older, if they committed an offence prior to their 18th year), to whom a diversion from the standard course of criminal trial was indicated from the criminal-legal point of view or who were assigned with an appropriate proceeding to submit to a program of social training and re-education.
Objectives
- resocialization of adolescent malefactors
- strengthening of responsibility for themselves and their behaviour
- strengthening the ability to accept common rules and standards
- enhancing positive family relationships (eg. by offering parental counselling consultation)
- expansion of interests and strengthening relations with non-hazardous social environment
- self-discovery
- strengthening social and communication skills
- strengthening the ability of appropriate responses to stressful situations
- developing and strengthening working skills and habits
Characteristics of the service
The program applies control and regime elements of intervention while providing psychosocial help with solving the consequences of illegal acts and, dealing with life situations and eliminating criminogenic factors. From this point of view the program can be ranked to secondary prevention area. The program also tries to decrease the risk of recidivism and thus to protect the society from the criminality – i.e. tertiary prevention.
By implementation of the program we co-participate in execution of Act no. 218/2003 on judiciary in youth issues. Since its launch the program has worked with the KBT principles. In professional literature this approach is described as a functional and appropriate way of work leading to changes in mind-set and behavior of adolescent malefactors. Efficiency of the KBT approach is confirmed also by research. The program also uses techniques of experiential education and elements of self-recognition and pressure.