Developments in Romania’s Juvenile Justice System

Our partner organisation, APADOR-CH, has published its latest monitoring report following a visit to the Craiova Juvenile Detention Centre.

Under a draft decision issued by Romania’s Ministry of Justice, the Craiova facility is expected to be converted into a prison for adults. When the proposal is implemented, Romania will be left with only one juvenile detention centre nationwide: the Brăila-Tichilești Detention Centre.

While addressing systemic overcrowding in adult prisons is an urgent necessity, it remains to be seen whether dismantling a dedicated youth rehabilitation centre is the right way forward, particularly given the potential impact on the rights and rehabilitation prospects of young people in conflict with the law.

Key Findings from the APADOR-CH Report:
– Prioritizing Adult Overcrowding: The government is repurposing the facility to quickly gain over 300 spaces for adult inmates in response to European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemnations regarding adult prison conditions. This structural fix comes directly at the expense of specialized youth infrastructure.
– Preventing and Investigating Staff Violence: The report documents allegations of staff physical and verbal abuse. The organization calls for prompt and independent investigations, thorough medical documentation and rapid access to forensic examination to ensure accountability and protect detained children.
– Ensuring Informed Consent for Psychiatric Medication: The report warns against relying on blanket authorisation signed when a child enters detention. Consent must be specific, informed, current, and revocable, while minors, particularly those over the age of 14, should be meaningfully involved in decisions concerning their psychiatric treatment.
– Preventing Administrative Delays in Urgent Medical Care: The report highlights a case in which treatment for a young person who had swallowed metal objects was delayed by unsuccessful referrals between hospitals. APADOR-CH calls for a rapid referral mechanism to an appropriate civilian hospital whenever the prison healthcare system is unable to provide timely intervention.

Please note the comprehensive analysis is currently available only in Romanian.

Read the full monitoring report