Juvenile punishment

The court may impose juvenile punishment if:

• the offence was committed by a person aged 15 to 17;
• a fine is, taking into consideration the seriousness of the offence, the culpability of the perpetrator as manifested in the offence and the previous criminality of the perpetrator, an insufficient punishment and there are no serious reasons requiring that a sentence of unconditional imprisonment be imposed; and
• conditional imprisonment with supervision is not deemed sufficient to be able to promote the social adjustment of the perpetrator or to prevent new offences.

Juvenile punishment may last four to twelve months. The sentenced person serves a maximum of eight hours per week according to a set schedule.

Pre-sentence report and sentence plan

Before trial, the prosecutor or the court requests a probation office to prepare a pre-sentence report. In the pre-sentence report, the probation office assesses whether juvenile punishment is suitable for the young person. The decision on sentencing to juvenile punishment is made by the court.

Cooperation between various parties is a key element of juvenile punishment. The pre-sentence report is drawn up together with the young person, the person who has custody of the young person, and the social welfare authorities. The report is made based on a joint meeting, an interview with the young person, a hearing with the custodian and information received from other authorities.

If the probation office considers juvenile punishment suitable for the young person, the report includes a sentence plan outlining the individual content of juvenile punishment. Once the court confirms the judgment and the enforcement of the sentence begins, a supervisor appointed by the probation office specifies the sentence plan together with the young person.

Supervision

Supervision is based on a confidential relationship between the supervisor and the sentenced person. The supervisor’s role is to motivate the young person to change, provide support and guidance, and ensure the sentence is served in line with the conditions and regulations. Supervision appointments cover general issues relating to their life situation and specific issues relating to the offences.

Activities and programmes

Persons sentenced to juvenile punishment participate in a programme addressing offending with their supervisor. Juvenile punishment may also include programmes on substance abuse, problem-solving, social skills, anger management, knowledge of society, and traffic behaviour, depending on the needs of the young person. More about activities and programmes in juvenile punishment.

Orientation to employment and work

Orientation to work is arranged in an individually chosen place based on an agreement between that place and the probation office. The place is selected so that it supports the young persons’ potential study and career plans.

Orientation to employment may consist of, for example, exploring education and training options, applying for study places, or learning the basics of employment.

Breach of conditions and regulations

The obligations of persons serving a juvenile punishment include maintaining contact with their supervisor. If they fail to attend a supervision appointment or other event related to the serving of the sentence, the police may bring them in to the next supervision appointment. They must be sober in all events related to the enforcement of juvenile punishment.

The probation office may issue a reprimand or warning for breaching the conditions of the sentence plan or related regulations. A warning is issued if the sentenced persons do not comply with reprimands or seriously breach the conditions of the specified sentence plan or related regulations.

If sentenced persons do not start serving the juvenile punishment, discontinue it, fail to comply with an issued warning or otherwise intentionally and seriously breach the obligations under the law, the probation office reports the matter to the prosecutor. If the prosecutor considers that the conditions were seriously breached, the matter is referred to a district court. The court may impose another sentence instead of the part of the juvenile punishment that has not been served.

More about the enforcement of community sanctions

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