Young offenders often come from disadvantaged areas where poverty and social exclusion are rife (T2A, 2009). Their “needs are complex and multiple, and commonly include poverty (many have not yet experienced work), educational failure, substance misuse, mental health problems, homelessness, young parenthood and leaving care” (Ibid., p.15).

The VOICE action is a cross-sectorial cooperation project addressing issues concerning young people deprived of their liberty and from disadvantaged backgrounds. The action aims to support the implementation of the new EU Youth Strategy (2019-27) and proposes the development of a set of tools, a bottom-up approach and a peer-led methodology to foster the empowerment and engagement of young people in custody  in EU policies. The VOICE action will also arrange Youth Dialogue meetings (with key stakeholders and policy makers) and youth mobilities gathering young people from Portugal, Lithuania, Spain, Romania, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Italy. Policy recommendations will also be drafted entailing provisions on how to unlock the voice of young adult offenders’ and promote their participation in what concerns EU policy activities relevant to the youth field.

VOICE Working Packages:

• WP1 – Project Management, Coordination & Internal Communication
• WP2 – Training Toolbox to engage and train young adult offenders on European project and European values
• WP3 – Participatory Action – the bottom-up approach
• WP4 – Young people on the move
• WP5 – External Communication & Dissemination
• WP6 – Quality, Evaluation and Sustainability

Partners expect that the project creates invaluable results among the participating young people, namely:  strengthening their sense of EU citizenship; increasing their critical thinking and political literacy, democratic leadership, communication skills, civic and emotional competences; and promoting the development of their life skills which will produce a true impact on their life plan (reducing reoffending).

VOICE action addresses these priorities by: a) making imprisonment also an opportunity for young offenders’ to grow as EU citizens; b) creating a bottom-up approach, a new training curricula, & a peer-led methodology, empowering disadvantaged youth with key competences & life skills; c) organising Youth Dialogue Meetings and youth mobilities for disadvantaged youth which will foster the visibility and participation of these groups at policy level to influence areas related with youth policies.

The partnership

The Voice Action counts with 9 partners from 7 countries, namely, Aproximar, CRL – the coordinator, and the following partners:

• Associatia Vis Juventum (VIS) – Romania
• Merseyside Expanding Horizons (MEH) – United Kingdom
• Baia Mare Prison – Romania
• Fundación Diagrama Intervención Psicosocial (FDIP) – Spain
• ASSOCIAZIONE ARTISTICA CULTURALE A ROCCA (A Rocca) – Italy
• 180 Foundation – The Netherlands
• Stichting Young in Prison (YiP) – The Netherlands
• Psychological support and counselling centre (PPKC) – Lithuania

A Rocca will be the leader partner of the WP5 – External Communication & Dissemination focused on developing tools and defining effective strategies to both identify and target key internal and external stakeholders. It comprises the development of a project dissemination strategy and plan, project’s visual identity package; definition of guidelines for events organisation and the provision of dissemination activities reports.