Estonian parlt reduces maximum detention period of young offenders

TALLINN - The Estonian parliament on Wednesday adopted with 80 votes a law which will create a new system for treating young offenders and will reduce the maximum period of detention of minors.

The aim of the law is to reduce the number of repeated offenses committed by minors, spokespeople for the parliament said. Juvenile committees will be replaced by bodies conducting proceedings.

The new law will create a possibility of sending a young offender to a closed child care institution instead of prison. Instead of detention the law favors using other, more suitable and efficient sanctions.

The law also creates a possibility of using sanctions meant for young offenders for 18-21-year-olds if the person's development level is more similar to that of a minor.

In 2016 young offenders committed 1,016 crimes in Estonia.