By Kanitha Veu | Programme Coordinator
Project Quarterly Update
From April to July 2026, the This Life Without Bars Programme supported 341 children in conflict with the law across Cambodia, including 216 new referrals, 18 girls, 22 Indigenous children, and five children with disabilities. Your support through GlobalGiving contributes to this wider effort to give children appropriate alternatives to detention and help them stay connected to their families and communities. During the period, 16 children received diversion support at the police or court stage, 10 were released on bail, 40 received support for release and reintegration, and 19 completed their individual case plans. Each outcome represents a child with a greater opportunity to return safely to family and community and move forward with their life.
Children and families often need more than legal assistance to make that second chance sustainable. During the quarter, 117 children and families received legal advice, 143 children received psychosocial support, and 91 vulnerable children and families received emergency assistance. Four young people also received vocational support. Family connection remained central to the programme: 173 families were supported to maintain contact with children in prison or received other forms of family assistance. Together, these services address the legal, emotional and practical challenges children and families face and help create stronger foundations for safe reintegration.
One of those children is Chariya (a pseudonym), a teenage student who was arrested earlier this year following an incident involving another child. A This Life social worker worked with the provincial Social Agent to assess her circumstances and help ensure the justice process considered her age, education, family situation and potential for rehabilitation. Instead of detention, a prosecutor issued a diversion order that allowed Chariya to return home with structured support. “I cannot believe that my daughter could return home,” her mother shared. “Without the support of the Social Agent and This Life, my child would still be in prison.” Since returning home, Chariya has received regular counselling and practical support, become more engaged with her family, and begun preparing to return to school. Her experience shows what diversion can mean in practice: not simply avoiding detention, but giving a child the support and opportunity to rebuild their future.
Long-term change also depends on strengthening the people and systems responsible for child-friendly justice. During the quarter, 32 Social Agents and government officials, including 16 women, received training or mentoring to strengthen their support for children in conflict with the law. By working alongside government partners, families and communities, the This Life Without Bars Programme is helping strengthen practical understanding of diversion, rehabilitation and alternatives to detention. Chariya’s experience reminds us that one difficult moment does not have to determine a child’s future. With timely social work, family support and appropriate alternatives to detention, children can stay connected to their communities, continue their education and build safer futures. Thank you for helping make these second chances possible.
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