Smiltēns to Demand Concrete Solutions from Prison Administration After Minor's Death

Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns (AS) plans to meet with the leadership of the Latvian Prison Administration (IeVP) after the holidays to discuss mental health care and suicide prevention for juvenile inmates. The meeting comes after a 17-year-old died in December at the Olaine prison hospital. Smiltēns emphasizes that he expects concrete proposals and a vision from IeVP for future improvements to reduce the risk of similar tragedies.

The meeting aims to identify possible improvements in working with juvenile inmates, including mental health care, suicide risk assessment, supervision procedures, and inter-institutional cooperation. Smiltēns is ready to hear the administration's views on long-standing systemic challenges, such as the availability of specialists and work with high-risk minors.

IeVP explains that among juvenile inmates, complex mental health, addiction, and social adaptation problems are increasingly common, requiring long-term and coordinated cooperation among multiple institutions. The administration has informed about plans to improve suicide risk assessment tools, strengthen prevention measures, and develop technical solutions in prisons.

The teenager was incarcerated for drug use and theft, and his parents had their custody rights suspended. After another offense, he was placed in the child care institution "Ezermala," from where he was repeatedly transferred to the Olaine prison hospital due to uncontrollable behavior and self-harm. IeVP initiated a criminal process but terminated it in February, finding no crime. The mother denies this and wants clear answers about her son's death. This is the only death of a minor in custody in the last five years.

Smiltēns has also requested information about the circumstances of the specific case and the institution's actions, as well as data on deaths in custody, including suicides, for 2025 and the first five months of 2026. Last year, 32 people died in prisons. The Ministry of Justice will inform the public about the conclusions and next steps after the meeting.