Kosovo: Juvenile Justice

Kosovo's Flag. Still a Juvenile.

My apologies for some lack luster posting the past few months. I've been traveling around Kosovo interviewing judges, prosecutors, and Ministry of Justice officials for my Fulbright research about the state of juvenile justice in Kosovo. Recently, I gave a talk on the state of the juvenile justice system, the use of diversion, and my recommendations. My entire talk can be seen below.




For those of those not inclined to watch an hour long video of a person you kinda know speak about juvenile justice in Kosovo, here are a few highlights:

---

Generally speaking, Kosovo has made great strides in adopting moden standards and practices in regards to juvenile justice.

These strides include the Lipjan Detention Facility, which houses adults and male children separately, offers school so detainees don't fall behind, and vocational training in a variety of professions.

There are a few statutory short comings that do not protect the juvenile procedurally when it comes to diversion.

The use of diversion, about 10% of all juvenile cases, has nearly doubled since independence. However, there is a lot of room for increased use, especially in regards to use of diversion by judges.

The Probation Service is making great strides regarding oversight and enforcement of diversion measure; however, their budget and capacity remain too small. 

Even if prosecutors and judges wanted to use the statutorily prescribed diversion options, infrastructure for diversion measures, like mental health facilities, driving schools, and community work service venues are all lacking.

Youth court, peer-to-peer diversion, is the right next step for Kosovo. It will incorporate youth into the evolving justice system, as well as, help decrease backlog of cases and lower recidivism. More here.