Editorial

We are on our 3rd volume 2nd edition of PROBATION junior and we are excited
yet again to bring to your attention four new interesting articles, three of them
dealing with Romanian criminal justice and one tackling upon a general interest
topic.
We are opening this number with a research on the various amendments in the
legislation regarding the protection of juvenile offenders. Except the well known
principle that prohibits juvenile inmates to cohabit with adult inmates, previous
European legislation has had no provisions on juvenile inmates. The new
legislation regarding prisons includes no less than four rules in direct connection
with the situation of juvenile inmates: rule 35-1 to 35-4 of the European Prison
Rules. Analysing the new rules we are to notice that this evolution is certainly
welcome but not sufficient enough. A thorough analysis on the French case study
discloses an interesting situation resulted from the way this legislation was
implemented in the Member States.
The second article highlights, by means of an empirical research, the importance
of protection of juvenile offenders. A better knowledge on the personality of
juvenile offenders can predict their future behaviour in society. Certain sociodemographic factors influence and justify to a certain degree delinquent
behaviours, and so we can conduct targeted actions in order to prevent crimes.
The third article deals with education seen as a method meant to increase the
chances of reintegration after the release of convicts. The author emphasizes the
relationship between the level of education of young inmates and their criminal
behavior. Criminal activity researches confirm that there is a link, either direct or
indirect between the criminal behavior and the educational dimension of
offenders. The results of this research carried on at Gherla Prison highlights this
relationship between the low level of education of young convicts and their
criminal behavior.
The last article deals with mafia clans. The author refers to a series of cases from
Romania and emphasizes the fact that the whole philosophy of life based on clan
culture is in opposition, ritual purity representing the observance of the order and
harmony in compliance with the model and ritual impurity, invisible but
spiritually stronger, representing the deviation from the model, thus breaking the
balance through a series of default laws of behavior and conduct, whose validity
has been thoroughly verified by experience.
With the issuance of this new number we bring to your attention the SPECTO
2012 event that gets together researchers, professors, and practitioners in social
assistance, sociology, psychology, applied sciences and education as well as
specialists in the field of law. SPECTO 2012 will be centred on the latest
scientific accomplishments and their applicability in promoting alternative with a
particular attention on the protection of juvenile delinquents. The conference will
consist of debates, symposiums, workshops and poster sections where the latest
research in the field will be presented. The conference will explore the latest

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disciplinary and interdisciplinary challenges in social sciences but most of all the
relationship science-society. For more details you are welcome to visit the site of
the conference http://www.socio.uvt.ro/specto2012/specto2012.htm.
We hope that this number will catch your eye as well and, most important, that it
will encourage you to express your opinions online, leaving comments, questions,
suggestions on our internet page.
In the same time, please do not forget to forward our magazine to those interested.
Enjoy your reading!
PROBATION juniors Team!

PROBATION junior 64