Intentions to Care, Structures That Restrain: The Reality of Secure Units in Residential Social Care Institutions in Slovenia.

Despite ongoing criticism, the practice of involuntary admissions to locked units remains widespread globally. In this paper, we focus on secure units within residential social care institutions in Slovenia, which are intended to provide special protection for individuals deemed dangerous to themselves or others. We conducted semi-structured individual and group interviews with institutional management, secure unit staff, and residents in all secure units across the country. The findings reveal three key issues. First, the spatial congregation of residents within secure units tends to exacerbate, rather than reduce, risk. Second, instead of addressing the specific risks that prompted admission, secure units often implement generalized restrictions aimed at maintaining internal safety. Third, the overall institutional structure significantly limits the provision of individualized care and constrains both staff and resident agency. Although secure units are formally defined as protective environments, the study suggests that they function primarily as institutional containers. As such, they are not only in violation of human rights but are also ineffective in fulfilling their intended purpose due to inherent institutional limitations. We argue that secure units should be abolished and replaced by community-based services.