When an adolescent under 18 years of age commits an infraction, the Court determines that this person must comply with a socio-educational measure. It is different from an adult who, when he commits a crime, can be taken to a penitentiary.

Like prison, socio-educational measures can also involve deprivation of liberty. In these cases, the correct term is hospitalization. But socio-educational measures are not limited to that

This young person undergoes a series of assistance efforts, which range from education to the professionalization of the person. All of this has one objective: the resocialization of juvenile offenders. Learn more about the subject below.

What is resocialization of juvenile offenders?

The socio-educational measures are an effort for young people to get out of the world of crime. The most common offenses are theft and drug dealing. However, for many people, this is not the best way to deal with these teenagers: a Datafolha survey found that 84% of Brazilians are in favor of reducing the age of criminal responsibility to 16 years. That is, for most of the population, these young people should receive convictions as adults.

But, as these conventional reprimands do not include resocialization work, the teenager could have greater difficulties getting out of the world of crime, which would increase recidivism.

A survey carried out by the Government of the Federal District pointed out that there are several factors that increase the chance of an adolescent in compliance with a socio-educational measure committing a new infraction.

According to the study, males are 134% more likely to relapse than females. Having incomplete primary education increases the probability of recidivism by 69% compared to those with higher levels of education.

In addition, enrollment with school attendance reduces this probability by 37% in relation to young people who do not study, which corroborates the importance of education for positive changes in the lives of adolescents.

As for leisure, research shows that when there is no practice of sport or there is no interest, recidivism can occur more: 69% more in relation to those who claimed to be interested in sports.

Finally, the study shows that male adolescents tend to believe, more than female adolescents, that they will be working five years after the interview, with a 62.7% greater odds ratio, especially among those in assisted liberty

The power of education

You already know that educational activities are important for the resocialization of juvenile offenders. But maybe you don’t know about the Minas Gerais Learning Incentive Program – Discover.

The project is an initiative of 11 municipal, state and federal agencies and the Instituto Ramacrisna . The focus of the initiative is to promote education for young people between the ages of 14 and 21 who are serving and/or who have graduated from socio-educational measures, who are in institutional care or who have been rescued from a situation of child labor exploitation.  

In the Discover program, teenagers participate in training in professional qualification and learning. And at Ramacrisna, learning in audiovisual and musicalization is offered, and professional qualification through the Bootcamp of Digital Inclusion, with programming classes, activities in the 3D printer, creation of applications and website.

Finally, students attend lectures with psychologists, social workers and former students, who share their resocialization experiences. You can help transform the lives of thousands of young people. Discover our projects and find out how to help.