📋 Tender Overview
The Ministry of Justice has appointed a working group to develop legislation on juvenile punishment. The aim is to increase the use of juvenile punishment and to better emphasise the seriousness of the sentenced offence. For example, elements of community service could be introduced into juvenile punishment. The development of legislation on juvenile punishment is included in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government Programme and in the Action Plan to Combat Juvenile and Gang Crime, adopted in April.
The task of the working group is to prepare the necessary legislative amendments to make juvenile punishment a clear part of the penalty system for underage youth. In particular, the working group should assess ways to increase the use of juvenile punishment, at least for offences for which the current sentence is 1–2 years of suspended imprisonment. It should also be possible to use juvenile punishment more often as a first penalty for a young person. In addition, the working group must examine the penalty investigation procedure prior to sentencing to a juvenile sentence, the implementation of the sentence, and its content and duration. The working group's term of office ends in May 2025.
Juvenile punishment is a special type of sanction for young people who have committed crimes between the ages of 15 and 17. It is a sentence of a minimum of four months and a maximum of one year, which includes supervision, support and activities and programmes that promote social functioning. Juvenile punishment was introduced nationwide in 2005. According to studies, juvenile punishment works well, but it is used relatively little. In recent years, between 5 and 10 juveniles have been sentenced to juvenile punishment each year.
