When Full Operation at the Vienna Youth Prison Münnichplatz?

Recently, it was said to be by the end of the year, but now the full operation of the new juvenile prison at the Münnichplatz correctional facility in Vienna-Simmering seems to be further delayed. As quoted by ORF's "ZiB2" on Wednesday evening from a statement by the Ministry of Justice, "a fully secured commissioning (full operation) (...) will take place in the 1st quarter of 2026". Ombudswoman Gabriela Schwarz renewed her criticism on Thursday, not least because of this. The ministry rejected this.

"The original plan for the completion of construction work in the 4th quarter of 2025 holds," said the statement from the Ministry of Justice. "What I feared has unfortunately happened. The Ministry of Justice is postponing the start of full operation of the Münnichplatz juvenile detention center once again. First, it was said 2024, then early 2025, then summer - the list of postponements is long," responded Schwarz. "I appeal to the responsible Ministry of Justice to finally establish realistic project management so that the juveniles and the staff are not constantly exposed to false expectations."

Ministry of Justice commented

"The responsible directorate-general is continuously working on improvements throughout the entire penal system," emphasized the Ministry of Justice on Thursday. "We are confident that many of the points of criticism have already been addressed since the report was issued and subsequently with the commencement of regular operations, but we will, of course, remain in contact with the Vienna Child and Youth Advocacy (KIJA) to identify and address problems in ongoing operations."

In addition, a "cooperation agreement with the Child and Youth Advocacy" has been concluded beyond the legal mandate. "This is primarily about ensuring access to child rights support for juvenile inmates in Vienna correctional facilities, including through KIJA consultation hours in a Vienna juvenile detention facility and support for staff," said the ministry.

Juveniles in JA Josefstadt

The opening of the youth wing at Münnichplatz is urgent, as after the closure of the special institution for male youths and young adults in Gerasdorf, youths are housed in the Grey House in Josefstadt. The KIJA recently criticized that the occupancy in the JA Josefstadt is very high, that dinner is served at 1:30 PM, and that the youths can only shower twice a week. "That the conditions for the youths in the permanently overcrowded Josefstadt prison are not ideal has been known for a long time. The youth detention center in Gerasdorf should not have been closed before Münnichplatz is ready," Schwarz concluded.

In contrast, the Ministry of Justice emphasized in a statement sent to the APA that "it is quite common in other correctional facilities and essential for an efficient service operation that the evening meal - especially if it is a cold meal - is already distributed with lunch (or a little later), so that the youths can feed themselves at the desired time according to their needs and appetite."

Reference to Staff Shortage

Representatives of the prison guards and recently also the KIJA have long pointed to the staff shortage in their ranks. The union has long emphasized that 300 positions are necessary. The FPÖ representative Christian Lausch mentioned in "ZiB2" that 300 to 400 positions are missing.

According to the ministry, "58 prison guard officers (JWB, note) are planned at full capacity at Münnichplatz." Currently, 32 JWB positions are filled, "with further appointments already in prospect and the Vienna-Münnichplatz prison not yet at full capacity in terms of inmate occupancy. Additionally, all specialized service areas are already staffed (pedagogy, social pedagogy, social work, psychology, psychotherapy, and occupational therapy) and further appointments are continuously being made," emphasized the Ministry of Justice.

(APA/Red)

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