Unlocking child-friendly Justice: The hidden key to reform lies in staff training policies

In an international conference that brought together experts from across Europe to discuss critical issues in juvenile delinquency, IPS presented the ARISA Child project, with a focus on its policy paper ‘Reforming Youth Corrections’, which outlines actionable recommendations to ensure justice staff are equipped to meet the developmental needs of children in conflict with the law.

Correctional staff working with juveniles play a critical role in safeguarding their human and fundamental rights, in accordance with relevant United Nations conventions and rules (e.g. The Beijing Rules; The Nelson Mandela Rules). Nonetheless, challenges facing juvenile justice systems across the EU reveal deep systemic issues that compromise the welfare and rehabilitation of young people in conflict with the law.

Unlike adults, children in conflict with the law experience unique developmental needs, shaped by their ongoing emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. However, the current practices in many countries often fail to address these specificities, perpetuating cycles of reoffending and undermining opportunities for meaningful rehabilitation.

One issue at the heart of the problem is the persistent gap in the training and preparedness of professionals working with young people in the juvenile justice system, in spite of specialised capacity-building in juvenile correctional services being emphasised by the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the EU Judicial Training Strategy. The ARISA Child Project identifies this as a pivotal issue to close the gap between policy intension and training practices.

This is emphasised in ‘Comparative report assessing the training needs of prison and probation staff working with convicted children’ conducted in 10 EU member states – Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden – which has already revealed low numbers of staff members receiving adequate education in child-friendly justice principles, child psychology, or trauma-informed care in the countries assessed by the project. This deficiency limits their capacity to engage with juveniles in a constructive manner, undermining efforts to address the underlying causes of delinquency and foster their rehabilitation process.

Considering the importance of specialised training for justice professionals working with young offenders, the ARISA Child project was featured in recent Pathways to Juvenile Delinquency conference, held on December 3–4 at the School of Criminology within the Faculty of Law, University of Porto. This in international event brought together experts from across Europe to discuss critical issues in juvenile delinquency, and covered themes ranging from the causes of youth offending, to practices in rehabilitation and reintegration. The conference programme offered rich opportunities to engage with new ideas and underscored the shared challenges and opportunities faced by justice systems across the EU and abroad.

"Pathways to Juvenile Delinquency" conference, held on December 3–4 at the School of Criminology within the Faculty of Law, University of Porto

With the presentation ‘Unlocking Child-Friendly Justice: The Hidden Key to Reform Lies in Staff Training Policies’, IPS presented the ARISA Child project, with a focus on its policy paper ‘Reforming Youth Corrections’, which outlines actionable recommendations to ensure justice staff are equipped to meet the developmental needs of children in conflict with the law. By emphasising the importance of training in areas such as child psychology, communication, and diversity, the recommendations underscore the need for systems that are both effective and child-friendly.

The ARISA Child project’s recommendations advocate for reform, with a particular focus on the need for specialised training and the establishment of youth-specific facilities. By equipping juvenile justice professionals with interdisciplinary skills, the project suggests that justice systems can better engage with young offenders and address their unique needs. Countries like Germany and Sweden, which have implemented effective training programmes¹, provide examples of how investment in staff development can lead to positive outcomes for both individuals and society.

In response to these pressing challenges, the ARISA Child consortium is currently finalising the development of its Enhanced Capacity Training for Professionals Working with Convicted Children. This e-learning course, soon to be available in 6 languages (EN; BG; EL; ES; IT; PT), is designed for juvenile justice professionals, and includes eight core modules covering key topics such as the rights of children in conflict with the law, child and youth psychology, vulnerabilities and diversity, and effective communication. The course also emphasises the importance of collaboration with families and communities, aiming to promote a more holistic approach to rehabilitation.

If you are interested in attending the ARISA Child Dissemination & Networking event next February in Lisbon, or in accessing the project’s E-learning course, we kindly invite you to get in with us.

Please email claire.machan@prisonsystems.eu/ heloisa.becker@prisonsystems.eu for further information.

¹ Kasapi, Z. A.; Doichinova, M. (2024). Policy Paper: Reforming Youth Corrections. ARISA Child Project. Available at: https://arisa-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ARISA-Child-policy-paper EN.pdf