Freedom
The restriction of personal freedom must be weighed up very carefully. This applies in the case of imprisonment, involuntary placement or institutional forms of housing. Those affected need transparent procedures, opportunities to lodge complaints and appropriate support and advice.
During the annual exchange with the Prison Service Commission, the conditions of detention in prisons were once again discussed this year. The VMR has long recommended measures to improve employment opportunities and visiting options for families with children. The detention of juvenile offenders in accordance with children's rights is a challenge. The state prison does not offer the necessary framework conditions - it remains a case-by-case approach. The surrounding countries themselves have too little space in juvenile detention centers. There needs to be either a political decision to expand the state prison or corresponding agreements with surrounding prisons.
Between 2002 and 2022, the number of welfare placements quadrupled - and the number continues to rise every year. In 2024, 94 placements were made. 90 percent due to mental illness or abnormalities. The VMR evaluates the district court's statistics every year. What is behind the sharp increase in this trend is largely unclear among specialist authorities and the judiciary - and that worries us.
