Working with juvenile offenders in Karelia during the post-revolutionary period

The problem of juvenile delinquency in Karelia between 1918 and 1935 and the government measures against it are fully addressed and analyzed for the first time on the basis of various sources. The relevance of the topic is in the study of and critical reflection on the experience gained in the previous periods. It is of interest in connection with the improvement of the modern methods of work with child offenders while the crime rates among youngsters remain high. The research centers on the activities of commissions for cases of minors, demonstrates the changes in the age of criminal responsibility for juvenile offenders, lists the types of crimes committed by them, and describes the network of institutions for these children in Karelia. Measures taken by commissions for cases of minors towards juvenile offenders are identified. These measures could succeed only with the right approach towards child offenders and the sufficient number of special facilities. The research revealed that in Karelia all possible legal measures were applied to juvenile offenders, except for the medical ones due to the lack of specialized institutions. The study shows a gradual build-up of the repressive element when working with juvenile offenders, which was against the government's commitment to create favorable environment for the upbringing and socialization of Soviet children.