Adult Prisons in Cambodia - No Place for a Child

Between December 2025 and March 2026, your generosity helped This Life Without Bars reach more children in conflict with the law across Cambodia, and keep more of them out of prison. During this period, the programme expanded from two provinces into five, now operating in Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear, and Kandal. In total, 170 children received active support through case management, legal advocacy, and family services. Among them, 15 children were released on bail and returned home to their families - six received community-based alternative measures instead of custodial sentences, and two completed diversion plans. These are not just numbers: each one represents a child who will not grow up behind bars.

Your support is making a profound difference in the lives of young people who have very little. Sixty-six children and families received legal advice to help them understand their rights and navigate the justice system. Fifty-nine children accessed mental health and psychosocial support, and 59 vulnerable families received emergency assistance during critical moments. Crucially, 63 families were helped to maintain contact with their children in prison through transport support, food allowances, and facilitated visits. Keeping those family bonds intact is one of the most powerful things we can do to support a child's safe return home.

One of the young people your donations helped is Vattana (name changed for privacy), a 19-year-old from a rural village near Siem Reap. After losing his father at a young age and dropping out of school in Grade 6 to support his family, Vattana was arrested in 2023 following an unknowing purchase of a stolen motorbike. Facing prison, he told our team: "I was very stressed and didn't know what to do. All I could think about was who would support my mother and my younger sister if I went to prison." Thanks to the programme you fund, the court chose a six-month community diversion plan instead of detention. With the support of This Life Without Bars, social workers and local authorities, Vattana completed his plan, kept his job, and is now looking to the future. "Without This Life, I don't think I would have had a chance. My life would have been very different." He hopes one day to become a social worker himself, so he can help other young people in situations like his.

Beyond individual cases, your support is helping to drive lasting change in Cambodia's justice system. Earlier this year, This Life convened the first national Child Justice Network coordination meeting, bringing together civil society organisations and human rights bodies to strengthen collaborative advocacy for child-friendly justice. This sits alongside a major national assessment completed in late 2025, which found that over 83% of children in conflict with the law were in pre-trial detention — many held beyond legal limits — with nearly 63% eligible for diversion measures that were not being applied. This evidence is now directly informing our advocacy and coordination with national authorities. With your continued partnership, we are not just supporting individual children: we are helping to change the system that puts them at risk in the first place.

Links:

• This Life Cambodia Website
• This Life Cambodia Facebook Page
• This Life Without Bars (Diversion Program) Webpage

Because of you, children in Cambodia are staying with their families — not behind bars

Between September and November 2025, your support helped This Life protect children in conflict with the law by listening to communities, strengthening families, and encouraging justice systems to respond with care and dignity.

Listening to Communities to Protect Children

In October 2025, This Life brought together children, parents, caregivers, and local authorities in Banteay Meanchey Province to talk openly about the risks children face — and what families need to keep them safe.

Together, 47 community members identified urgent challenges affecting children’s lives, including drug use, school dropout, domestic violence, youth involvement with the justice system, and the daily stress caused by poverty and household debt. Families also shared how limited parenting support, mental health strain, labour migration, and stigma against young people make these challenges even harder.

Building a More Child-Friendly Justice System

Your support also helped change how children are treated when they come into contact with the law. During this period, This Life partnered with the Ministry of Social Affairs to train 341 police officers, judges, and local officials on Cambodia’s Juvenile Justice Law — many for the first time since the law was adopted.

The trainings focused on diversion, alternatives to detention, and child-friendly procedures that prioritise rehabilitation over punishment. For children, this means a better chance of being supported in their communities instead of being sent to prison.

By the end of the trainings, participants showed a stronger understanding of how to respond to children in ways that protect their safety, dignity, and future.

Standing Beside Children and Families

During this quarter, 89 children received individual case management support. While every child’s situation was different, all received care focused on safety, family connection, and long-term wellbeing.

• 19 children successfully completed their case plans and reintegrated with their families
• 41 children continue to receive ongoing support
• Advocacy continues for children who face legal barriers to diversion

Each outcome represents a child who stayed connected to family, education, and hope — instead of growing up behind bars.

An Imapact Story: Finding Stability at Home

Nara (pseudonym) is a 16-year-old boy who was previously incarcerated before returning home with support from This Life.

Since reuniting with his family, Nara has shown a clear change in motivation and outlook. He is now committed to continuing his education and has set a goal of pursuing a future career in information technology — something he struggled to imagine before.

His mother shared that having her son home has brought stability and hope back into their daily life. Nara now helps with household tasks, communicates openly with his mother, and shows pride in contributing positively to the family.

With ongoing counselling, encouragement from his mother, and positive role models, Nara is building the confidence and skills he needs to move forward. His story shows how keeping children connected to family can create real opportunities for change.

Thank You for Making Second Chances Possible

Your support is helping families stay together, strengthening community responses, and ensuring children are treated with dignity and care — not punishment. We are deeply grateful to have you alongside us.

Thank you for believing that no place is right for a child behind bars.

Links:

• Find out more about This Life Without Bars Program
• More information about This Life
• Follow This Life on Social Media