Meriel Beattie Reporting from Latvia

The small Baltic state of Latvia leads Europe in the proportion of young people it puts behind bars.

And as Meriel Beattie finds out, the state is struggling to cope.

She goes to the capital Riga to meet the young people who are stepping into the breach.

The ex-prisoner who is single-handedly re-habilitating young offenders.

She also meets the country's first woman president, war refugee and Canadian academic who returned to Latvia to spearhead her country's bids for membership in the EU and NATO.

Crossing Continents: Latvia - looking west
Thursday 14 November 2002 on BBC Radio 4 at 1100 GMT
The programme is repeated 18 November 2002 on BBC Radio 4 at 2030 GMT

Correspondent: Meriel Beattie
Producer: Ingrid Hassler
Editor: Maria Balinska