Gogu: Institute for Juveniles to Be Fully Operational by March 2027

Justice Minister Toni Gogu pledged today before the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi that Albania’s Institute for the Education and Rehabilitation of Juveniles will be fully functional within the first quarter of 2027.

Gogu opened his address with a human story from Kruja, about a young man who broke the law at 17 and, supported by a reintegration program during his sentence, managed to complete his schooling and vocational training — and now works and supports himself.

“Crime prevention does not end when a crime has been committed. Sometimes, that is precisely where prevention begins,” Gogu said.

The minister stressed that criminal networks know no borders. In his view, the response must rest on three pillars: strong institutions, international cooperation, and the confiscation of criminal assets. He also announced that two days ago Albania signed the UN Convention against Cybercrime.

“Technology must assist human judgment. It must never replace it,” Gogu said.

The new institute will put the child at the center and will rely on education, rehabilitation and reintegration. “A criminal offense committed at the start of life must not define the rest of it,” the minister concluded.