The suburb of Ishøj south of Copenhagen has been successful in minimising youth delinquency by sending young gang leaders away for two months.

“In the past year we have started to intervene, quickly and strictly, against the leaders of the so-called ‘little brother gangs’. We forcibly remove them before it goes terribly wrong and prevent the whole gang from committing serious crime in the longer run,” says Charlotte Friis, head of the Family Section in Ishøj.

The 12-14 year-old kids are placed with youngsters from other areas or in places where they only meet adults. The placement is designed to make the young people realise that they have begun a downward spiral.

Psychological examination
During psychological examinations, social workers try to find the best way to keep youngsters away from crime once they return to their family, school and friends.

“Some institutions take them on long hikes in the wilderness. They learn that they have to cooperate with the adults if they want to get food. But they also learn that the adults want to help them, and that may be a new discovery,” says Charlotte Friis.

The young boys have initially reacted angrily. But as time passes, they gain trust in the adults and anger turns to understanding. The two months away from the gang environment means that their names no longer appear in the daily police reports, and they tend to take school more seriously.

No special sanctions in 2009
The provisions have not only been a social success, but also an economic bonus for Ishøj which has saved DKK 6 million on placements in 2009.

The forcible removal of delinquent youths has meant that they were not punished for serious crime with subsequent longer and harsher sanctions. Previously, Ishøj spent more than DKK 1 million on each of the young people sentenced to special sanctions. That expense has been saved this year.