Sport plays a crucial role in the lives of juveniles serving their sentences in correctional institutions, and in addition to its many direct positive effects, it is also associated with successful reintegration after release. Sport programmes can help young people to develop, but the situation is more nuanced because they can also create specific, challenging situations. It is also important to address the pedagogical, psychoeducational and corrective approaches in this field, because these different approaches bring with them a different focus. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the topic, the academic literature on the theoretical background to the study of the participation of juveniles serving their sentences in correctional facilities in sports programmes (focusing primarily on international studies) was explored, mainly looking at the psychological, educational and criminological dimensions of the topic. The main value of the study, besides the literature on the subject, is to show the relationship between the participation of young offenders in sport programmes and its direct and long-term indirect effects. Sport programmes provide an opportunity to support the socialisation of the young people concerned, in addition to developing their skills and abilities. However, participation in sport does not necessarily bring long-term, positive results, so it is essential to be aware of the planning process, and to focus not only on the results of the programme, but also on the process of implementation. Investigating the participation of juvenile offenders in sport programmes is a key issue and it is in the common interest of all to address them, as it can contribute to the juvenile’s desistance and desistance from delinquent behaviour by adulthood.