Giselle prepares for life after prison at Zweibrücken center
- Giselle, a 17-year-old incarcerated at the Zweibrücken juvenile detention center in Germany, is preparing for life after prison through structured rehabilitation programs, focusing on education, impulse control, and...
- Growing up in Saarbrücken, Giselle experienced pervasive violence both at home and on the street.
- While German law provides alternatives to incarceration such as community service, courses, and victim-offender mediation, severe or repeated offenses eventually lead to youth detention.
Giselle, a 17-year-old incarcerated at the Zweibrücken juvenile detention center in Germany, is preparing for life after prison through structured rehabilitation programs, focusing on education, impulse control, and overcoming alcohol addiction. Serving her third stint behind bars since May for charges including aggravated assault, robbery, and extortion, she traces her path through the juvenile justice system back to a turbulent childhood and a peer group she joined at age 13.
Early Hardship and the Path to Juvenile Detention
Growing up in Saarbrücken, Giselle experienced pervasive violence both at home and on the street. According to her account, domestic violence marred her early years, starting with an abusive father and followed by a mother’s partner who targeted both her mother and Giselle. By age 13, she had fallen in with a peer group where alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis became part of daily life. Conflicts on the street were routinely settled with physical force, a dynamic she eventually adopted. “When then conflicts came and my friends solved that with hitting, I was just always there and then helped out at some point,” Giselle told SWR2 Wissen, describing a period where she fought almost daily.
Rehabilitation and Education Behind Bars
While German law provides alternatives to incarceration such as community service, courses, and victim-offender mediation, severe or repeated offenses eventually lead to youth detention. At the Zweibrücken facility, the focus shifts toward resocialization to prepare inmates for work, relationships, and conflict resolution without violence. Holger Scholtes, responsible for the women’s prison and youth division at JVA Zweibrücken, notes that rehabilitation often begins with mundane daily routines. Inmates and staff share breakfast around a common table, practicing basic social interactions and table etiquette. “We sit at the large table in the living group and have breakfast together, for example,” Scholtes told SWR2 Wissen, explaining that exercises include asking politely for items or playing board games without escalating disputes. During her time in custody, Giselle dropped out of multiple schools due to frequent absences and disrespectful behavior, but she has since earned her secondary school leaving certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) at the Zweibrücken facility with a grade point average of 1.2. “I find everything I did completely unnecessary and disrespectful – a disgusting behavior,” she reflected regarding her past.
Future Plans After Release
Upon completing her current sentence at JVA Zweibrücken, Giselle plans to enter treatment for her alcohol addiction. Prison officials and counselors continue to work with inmates through psychological sessions and educational programs to address the underlying behavioral issues tied to their social backgrounds. Support for individuals affected by domestic violence and addiction is widely available in Germany. The nationwide helpline for domestic violence offers free, anonymous counseling for women around the clock at 08000 116 016, alongside regional women’s emergency hotlines such as the Frauennotruf Kaiserslautern at 0631 31187844. The nationwide Addiction and Drug Hotline operates 24 hours a day at 01806 313031 for a fee of 0.20 euros per call from German landlines and mobile networks.