Resocialization of juvenile offenders in Germany: 
the paradigm of justice and education Cover Image

Ресоциализация несовершеннолетних правонарушителей в Германии: парадигма справедливости и воспитания
Resocialization of juvenile offenders in Germany: the paradigm of justice and education

Author(s): Philipp Walkenhorst, Anna Aleksandrovna Grebenkina, Evgeny Vladimirovich Grebenkin
Subject(s): Individual Psychology, Studies in violence and power
Published by: Новосибирский государственный педагогический университет
Keywords: Resocialization; juvenile offender adaptation; scripts; group therapy; probation; prosocial behavior; outpatient punishment; elimination of harmful consequences; juvenile court

Summary/Abstract: The article analyzes the peculiarities and conditions of re-socialization of juvenile offenders in Germany. On the basis of the synthesis of the key components of the justice system the au-thors consider its basic framework, as well as moral ethical foundations. The authors compare custodial and non-custodial measures of punishment, arguing the idea that correction of juve-nile offenders using non-custodial measures is more effective than imprisonment. Particular at-tention is paid to describing the activities of socio-pedagogical institutions within the Ministry of Justice of Germany jurisdiction. The nature of interaction between judges, educators and juve-nile delinquents are identified. The authors outline the following stages of non-custodial correc-tion of juvenile offenders: adaptation – therapy – resocialization. The confrontation method called "hot seat" is described, which is considered to be one of the mechanisms for regulating emotions and overcoming the affective-behavioral systems in juvenile offenders. It is proposed that the prison isolation of juveniles from society on the one hand, shows the inevitability of retribution and justice, on the other hand, does not fully guarantee the reduction of recidivism. The educational paradigm and such principles, determining the justice system, as the principle of subsidiarity, the principle of proportionality, the principle of a sanction and the principle of substitution, are considered to be indicators of social progress and civic consciousness.