Giving Back Mapping Report (2023)

Between July 2021 and March 2022 a mapping activity was carried out by The Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), Young Perspectives (YOPE) under the Giving Back project. In the Giving Back project, the NHC, YOPE and Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency strive to improve the child-friendly practices of European youth justice professionals working in Juvenile Justice Facilities (JJF’s) and to stimulate child-centered learning among European Union Member States. Part of the project entailed a mapping report which found proven or promising European practices of youth participation based training methods for professionals working in JJF’s. The first result of the mapping activity is a document that presents the outcomes of the mapping activity and can be found here.

NHC and YOPE want to continue to learn and build upon this mapping activity. So, to organisations that operate within the EU and want to share their expertise with the research team: please feel free to share your initiative with bwohlstetter@nhc.nl

Next to the mapping activity, NHC and YOPE will:

1. Visit three countries with promising practices that were identified during the mapping exercise.

2. Host online learning sessions that will allow the broader European Network to participate in an international exchange of promising youth-participation based practices.

3. Create a manifesto advocating for the inclusion of young people with lived experience in the development and implementation of penitentiary staff training.

Guidelines regarding recruitment, selection, education, training and professional development of prison and probation staff (Report, April 2019)

(Adopted by the European Committee on Crime Problems in April 2019)

The Council of Europe issued today a new set of Guidelines aimed at assisting its 47 Member States in improving the recruitment, education, training and professional development of prison and probation staff. (more…)