The Swedish National Board of Institutional Care (Statens institutionsstyrelse, or SiS) is a government agency that provides individually tailored compulsory care for young people with psychosocial problems and adults with substance abuse problems. SiS provides care and treatment when voluntary interventions have proven insufficient and mandatory care has become necessary. The Administrative Court (Förvaltningsrätten) issues orders for compulsory care based on the application of social services.

 SiS operates special residential homes for children. Some of these facilities provide care for young people who have committed serious crimes and have been sentenced to secure youth care.

Target group: Young people between the ages of 15 and 17 who commit serious crimes can be sentenced to secure youth care rather than imprisonment. These sentences, which range from 14 days to four years in length, are served in special units of SiS's special residential homes for young people.

Every year, approximately a hundred young people, the majority of whom are boys, are sentenced to secure youth care. The vast majority have been convicted of serious violent crimes such as robbery, aggravated assault, rape, manslaughter, or murder.

During their stay in SiS facilities, the young people are treated with an emphasis on their criminal behaviour. The adolescent is initially admitted to a secure reception unit. Psychologists, education professionals, and treatment providers determine the care and treatment needs, conduct a risk and needs assessment, and develop an individual sentence plan with the young person.

Many of the young people sentenced to secure youth care require treatment for substance abuse as well as help with relationship and educational issues. These interventions are tailored to each individual's risk level, needs, and learning style. The young people in our care also have the opportunity to attend school.

Security is tight to prevent absconding. Young people are initially cared for in a secure unit, but as they progress in their treatment, they are able to move to more open units.

The goal of the time young people spend with SiS is to help them return to the community after they have served their sentence. SiS aims to provide a logical chain of care that includes assessment, treatment, and discharge from the home. We plan the transition with the help of social services in the young person's home municipality. After release, social services are responsible for any care a young person may require. Many of these young people require long-term support to reduce their chances of reoffending.