The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM) welcomes the recently published plans of the Austrian Ministry of Justice regarding reforms of the penal system and forensic commitment.

Reform plans include the establishment of therapeutic centres instead of prisons for forensic commitment and adaptations of the specalized youth prison in Gerasdorf.

The BIM has stressed the need of reforms in forensic commitment and for the prevention of violence against juvenile detainees in several studies of the last years and is currently partner in a new EU project on juvenile justice.

Nowak, Manfred / Krisper, Stephanie: Der österreichische Maßnahmenvollzug und das Recht auf persönliche Freiheit. In: EUGRZ – Europ. Grundrechtezeitschrift, Vol. 40/Nr. 22-23, 2013.

Sax, Helmut / Unterlerchner, Barbara: Gewaltschutz für Jugendliche in Haft – Länderberichte Österreich 2013

Crittin, Tiphanie / Majnek, Tamara / Sax, Helmut: Children’s Rights Behind Bars. Human Rights of Children Deprived of Liberty: Improving Monitoring Mechanisms. National Report Austria, 2014