On average, men and women in prison are serving their fourth and third sentences, respectively.

"The influence of institutions is well known. Even if the work is done well, the mere fact of incarceration has the effect of increasing the likelihood of recidivism," said Rait Kuuse, the deputy secretary general for prisons at the Ministry of Justice.

Estonia has been reducing the number of juvenile prisoners since 2017, until it reached zero last week.

"If the first offense is not serious, then alternative methods of influence are called for, such as the use of probation measures already implemented by the prosecutor's office or other alternatives to imprisonment: community service, supervision by a probation officer, electronic monitoring," Kuuse said.

"These are all kinds of restraints. But even before that, we need support measures implemented by social workers in local communities. This is especially important for young people, as it allows for early detection of unlawful conduct," he continued.

Torujõe Youth Home in Kohtla-Järve is one of Estonia's out-of-prison centers for troubled youth. According to Viktor Korobka, a psychologist at the facility, this is a reasonable strategy.

"I think it's inappropriate to send a juvenile to prison right away. Before moving forward, it is important to give them a range of options and investigate what is causing them to behave this way," Korobka said.

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