Project description

PRECISION or Promote Rehabilitation, Empowerment of Children and Support for Youth Offenders is a project that seeks to promote wellbeing and reduce revidivism of juvenile offenders in Romania.

The objective of the project is that: by the end of 2020, about 500 children and youth in 3 juvenile detention facilities (Detention Center of Craiova, Detention Center in Tichilesti, Brăila and Educative Center in Târgu Ocna), benefit of high quality personalized services that meet their rehabilitative needs. During their detention, children and youth will have developed the necessary knowledge and skills (literacy, vocational skills, life-skills, self-esteem, motivation, social skills etc.) for their successful rehabilitation in society.

The project will apply a two-fold approach:

1) case management – social and mental health services, such as counseling, family and peer interventions and recreational activities

2) education and vocational training within the Detention Center in Craiova, Romania,  that serves as a pilot facility for the model.

Goal and objectives

The final aim of this pilot project is that during their detention, all children and youth will have developed the necessary knowledge and skills (literacy, vocational skills, life-skills, self-esteem, motivation, social skills etc.) for their successful rehabilitation in society.

This proposed project should be seen as an initial step in a longer term intervention. The two years will lay the foundations for a change (strengthening) of the juvenile justice system in Romania. Being a stable country politically, we have every reason to believe that our investment will bring endure over time, particularly for the fact that we respond to legally-binding needs.

The model we propose will be based on Terre des hommes’ conception of the child in conflict with the law as an active and positive contribution to society rather than being considered as a risk. As a consequence, all children in conflict with the law should be supported in their development of skills and competences.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To develop a knowledge base and tools that will serve for informed decisions for politicians and practitioners and promote better understanding of child and youth challenges in the justice system and upon exit.

• To develop a model that is based on individual case management and consists of a package of services meeting the rehabilitative needs of juvenile offenders. Alongside, to strengthen the capacities of professionals working with children and youth in detention facilities.

• To raise awareness and advocate on the specific needs of children and youth in detention and the importance of (pre-release) programs that target individual factors and aim at increasing self-esteem, improving mental well being and changing behavior.

The project is implemented by Terre des hommes Romania and financed by MEDICOR Foundation.