No Place For a Child: Alternatives to imprisoning children in Cambodia
ចំណងជើងខាងក្រោមគឺគ្រាន់តែដើម្បីរៀបចំគំនិតនិងរក្សាការផ្តោតអារម្មណ៍នៅក្នុងដំណាក់កាលព្រាង
The report
This Life’s report No Place for a Child: Alternatives to imprisoning children in Cambodia calls for an acceleration of juvenile justice reform in Cambodia.
Should a child be sent to prison for stealing a mobile phone? Detention should be a last resort for children. It is distressing and can have a long-lasting impact on the child’s physical and mental health, family relations, and their socio-economic prospects.
In Cambodia, children who are detained are placed in adult prisons.
No Place for a Child: Alternatives to imprisoning children in Cambodia calls for the increased use of diversionary measures and alternatives to detention in Cambodia.
របាយការណ៍
របាយការណ៍របស់អង្គការជីវិតនៅកម្ពុជាក្រោមចំណងជើងថា៖ “មិនមែនជាកន្លែងសម្រាប់កុមារ៖ វិធីសាស្រ្ដដទៃជំនួសការដាក់កុមារកម្ពុជាក្នុងពន្ធនាគារ” អំពាវនាវឱ្យមានការពន្លឿនការកំណែទម្រង់យុត្តិធម៌អនីតិជននៅក្នុងប្រទេស។
តើគួរបញ្ជូនកុមារទៅពន្ធនាគារពីបទលួចទូរស័ព្ទដែរឬទេ? ការឃុំខ្លួនគួរតែជាមធ្យោបាយចុងក្រោយសម្រាប់កុមារ។ ការឃុំខ្លួនកុមារអាចបំបាក់ទឹកចិត្ត និងអាចជះឥទ្ធិពលយូរអង្វែងលើសុខភាពផ្លូវកាយនិងផ្លូវចិត្ត ទំនាក់ទំនងគ្រួសារ និងអនាគតសេដ្ឋកិច្ចសង្គម។
នៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា កុមារដែលត្រូវបានឃុំខ្លួនត្រូវបានដាក់ក្នុងពន្ធនាគារមនុស្សពេញវ័យ។
របាយការណ៍ “មិនមែនជាកន្លែងសម្រាប់កុមារ៖ វិធីសាស្រ្ដដទៃជំនួសការដាក់កុមារកម្ពុជាក្នុងពន្ធនាគារ” អំពាវនាវឱ្យមានការបង្កើនការប្រើប្រាស់វិធានការនិងជម្រើសផ្សេងពីការឃុំខ្លួននៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
The short film
This short film was made for the National Launch of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty in Cambodia that was held on 22 April 2021. In this short film, Sok (not his real name) describes his experience of being arrested and sent to prison. Sok was arrested when he was 16 for drug-related offenses. He spent 2 years in prison and was 18 when this short film was made in March 2021. While he was in prison, Sok participated in This Life Beyond Bars program.
ខ្សែភាពយន្តខ្លី
ខ្សែភាពយន្តខ្លីនេះត្រូវបានផលិ
The children’s book / សៀវភៅកុមារ
Read in English / របាយការណ៍ជាភាសារខ្មែរ
The program
This Life has worked extensively in Cambodian juvenile justice for over a decade. This experience has been used to develop a new program that will activate the recommendations of the report.
The program is called This Life Without Bars. Together with established programs This Life Beyond Bars and This Life With Choices, it will ensure a consolidated approach to juvenile justice reform in Cambodia.
This Life Without Bars will provide case management for children and will also include education and training of those involved in the implementation of juvenile justice.
កម្មវិធី
អង្គការជីវិតនៅកម្ពុជាបានធ្វើការយ៉ាងទូលំទូលាយនៅក្នុងប្រព័ន្ធយុត្តិធម៌អនីតិជននៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាអស់រយៈពេលជាងមួយទសវត្សរ៍មកហើយ។ បទពិសោធន៍នេះត្រូវបានប្រើដើម្បីបង្កើតកម្មវិធីថ្មី ដែលនឹងគាំទ្រដល់អនុសាសន៍របស់របាយការណ៍។
កម្មវិធីនេះមានឈ្មោះថា៖ ជីវិតគ្មានរបាំង។ រួមជាមួយនឹងកម្មវិធីដែលបានបង្កើតឡើងរួចមកហើយ កម្មវិធីជីវិតគ្មានរបាំង និង ជីវិតមានជម្រើស នឹងធានាបាននូវវិធីសាស្រ្តរួមមួយសម្រាប់កំណែទម្រង់យុត្តិធម៌អនីតិជននៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
កម្មវិធីជីវិតគ្មានរបាំងនេះនឹងផ្តល់នូវការគ្រប់គ្រងករណីសម្រាប់កុមារ ហើយនឹងរួមបញ្ចូលការអប់រំនិងបណ្តុះបណ្តាលដល់អ្នកដែលពាក់ព័ន្ធក្នុងការអនុវត្តយុត្តិធម៌អនីតិជន។
The Cambodian Law on Juvenile Justice came into force in 2017.
The law states that detention before or after conviction should be a last resort for children.
‘Even very short periods of detention can undermine a child’s psychological and physical well-being and compromise cognitive development.’
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
There are very few recreation, education or rehabilitation opportunities for children in Cambodian prisons. Children in prison are also at serious risk of bullying and violence.
According to the most recent statistics there are currently 1796 children in prison in Cambodia, including 86 girls. Children make up 13% of all prisoners in Siem Reap province. This is significantly higher than any other provincial prison.
The majority of child convictions are for non-violent offences, mostly drug use, drug trafficking and theft. In 64% of cases, children said their drug use had led them to commit crimes.
Diversion successfully reduces reoffending. It can contribute positively to a child’s development by allowing them to take responsibility for their crime without sending them to prison. Diversion is also more cost-effective than imprisonment.
In total 96 children participated in This Life’s survey and interviews for this research and 77 community members participated in surveys. This Life also interviewed community members, local police and judicial officials.
In community members thought that prison was bad for children and only 13% thought that children who commit non-violent crimes should be sent to prison. The majority thought that education or vocational training would be the best alternative to prison for children.
This Life’s interviews with officials demonstrate that they are supportive of the Juvenile Justice Law and are keen to begin implementation as soon as possible.
‘Prison is not good for children because they do not have a proper understanding of the consequences of their actions. They are still under-age in their development. It is difficult for them to see what is right and what is wrong… Prison can destroy the child’s future, cause them shame amongst friends and community and they will lose their chance of receiving a proper education.’
Stakeholders agree that NGOs can play a key role in helping authorities implement alternatives to prison for children, including through training, psychological and social support.
The investment
We are currently seeking funding partners to commence program activities. If you are interested to hear more or discuss the opportunity to collaborate please get in contact with us. Together we can create alternatives to imprisoning children in Cambodia.
Contact us below.
ការវិនិយោគ
យើងកំពុងស្វែងរកមូលនិធិដើម្បីអនុវត្តកម្មវិធី។ ការវិនិយោគកាន់តែច្រើន នឹងជួយកុមារកាន់តែច្រើនអោយនៅឆ្ងាយពីពន្ធនាគារមនុស្សពេញវ័យនៅកម្ពុជា។ ប្រសិនបើលោកអ្នកមានចំណាប់អារម្មណ៍ក្នុងការវិនោយោគលើកម្មវិធីនេះ សូមទាក់ទងមកយើងខ្ញុំ។ ការសហការណ៍គ្នារបស់យើងទាំងអស់គ្នានឹងជួយបង្កើតវិធីសាស្រ្តជួយកុមារផ្សេងពីការដាក់ទោសឲ្យពួកគេជាប់ពន្ធនាគារ។
ទាក់ទងមកយើងខ្ញុំខាងក្រោម។
Contact us using the form below / ទំនាក់ទំនងតាមទម្រង់ខាងក្រោម
អ្នកក៏អាចផ្ញើសារមកយើងខ្ញុំផ្ទាល់តាមរយៈអាស័យដ្ឋានអ៊ីមែល contact@thislife.ngo បានដែរ។