Community sanctions for children in Lithuania and Romania: diverging paths of juvenile justice

ENThis chapter examines and compares the juvenile justice systems in Lithuania and Romania, focusing on community sanctions and measures for children. The authors review the juvenile justice systems of both countries, the types of community sanctions, the institutional structures, and practical challenges, emphasising compliance with international standards for the protection of children’s rights in criminal justice. Although both countries share similar political experiences shaped by communist regimes, they have chosen different paths in reforming their juvenile justice systems. The authors conclude that Lithuania follows a neo-correctional approach, characterised by control-oriented sanctions, limited diversion mechanisms, and the formal involvement of children in criminal cases. Romania chose a different path—a welfare model that emphasises education, rehabilitation, and social integration, along with minimal intervention supported by diversion programmes. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations encouraging policymakers to strengthen rehabilitation measures, promote greater institutional specialisation, improve the training of specialists working with children, and reduce regional disparities in access to juvenile justice services.