This report was designed to inform the work of UNICEF and the Moldovan government as they assisted authorities to develop the necessary social infrastructure and support programmes for children and families who are at risk of coming into conflict with the law.
Moldova’s justice sector underwent significant change in the years following the end of the USSR, with laws, systems and institutions, as well as individuals, undergoing reforms to focus on reintegration and rehabilitation, and respect for human rights, due process and the rule of law. Comprehensive efforts were made to establish a juvenile justice system in line with international standards.
Despite the considerable progress, there remained by 2015 substantial gaps, particularly with respect to services and programmes to prevent offending. Prevention services are, by nature, broad, and encompass a range of interventions. This study is a needs analysis of primary prevention services (aimed at children with anti-social behaviour and those who are at high risk of offending), secondary prevention services (aimed at those children who have committed crimes and are either ‘diverted’ out of formal judicial proceedings or given a non-custodial sentence), and tertiary prevention services (for children who have been convicted of an offence and given a custodial sentence; refers to reintegration and rehabilitation programmes which prevent recidivism).