12 young people from detention centers across the country have created a digital platform to evaluate free legal services by suspected or accused children. "We built it. That's where our ideas are, because we know what we missed in the penitentiary.... What impressed me during the creation of the app: the freedom to speak, to express my opinion." (Marian, young man released on parole from the Craiova Detention Center) The "Legal support for me" app allows children to express their opinions, desires and feelings in a simple and anonymous way. The platform helps them get more actively involved in their lives and is a way to tell professionals who work with child perpetrators about the things that are important to them. The platform is functional, will remain accessible and can be opened on the https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/TDH_Romania website
The application was created as part of a project of Terre des hommes foundation, Clear Rights, which aimed to build a connection between young people in conflict with the law and pro bono lawyers who defend their rights in court.
On the occasion of the conference called "Reflections on programs for assistance, rehabilitation and reintegration of minors in contact with the criminal law" - from November 22, 2022, in Craiova, lawyers and social workers showed the importance of education in preventing conflict with the law even at very young ages.
" We focus on education, we insist more on explanation, on understanding what they have done wrong, and less on punishment", stressed the representative of DGASPC Dolj. Mrs. Lavinia Bucur, CNASR president, added that prevention should be more developed than intervention or post-intervention. Prevention should be handled locally, but there are not enough specialists, volunteers, concluded the participants in the conference.
The CLEAR RIGHTS project – strengthening legal assistance for children in Europe, coordinated by Terre des hommes Foundation, was initiated with the aim to respond to a lack of access for children to quality legal assistance. The project included training workshops for lawyers, who learned how to improve justice for children in Romania and how to work with traumatized children to help them in court.
Children, both victims or perpetrators, have been involved in the development of a digital tool for evaluating legal aid. Also, through the Children's Consultative Councils (CCC), they took part in the design and development of creative awareness-raising materials on the rights of suspected or accused young people. Some of them came up with constructive suggestions: "I think it would be useful to have a website where children and young people in prisons can learn more about the lawyers who represent them and the psychologists who could help them. " (Bogdan Giubega, CCC member)
The Clear Rights project involved team work with our partners : the Craiova Detention Center, Dolj Probation Service, General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) Dolj, National College of Social Workers in Romania (CNASR) - Dolj branch, ACTEDO Center for Action for Equality and Human Rights.
The project coordinated by Terre des hommes Foundation had a duration of two years, was implemented in Hungary, Romania, Belgium, France and the Netherlands and was funded by the "Justice" Program (2014-2020) of the European Union.
