Mental Health resources for Young Offenders (MHYO) Advocacy and Recommendations

Advocacy

By making the voice of professionals, experts and stakeholders on the issue of young offenders with mental health problems echo in the international agenda, the IJJO promotes and develops several advocacy activities to further improve the situation of these youngsters. These are some of the advocacy activities:

• The Annual Ministerial Review of the United Nations Economic and Social Council took place in Geneva (Switzerland) from July 6th to 8th 2009. This year this meeting has focused on global public health. The International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) co-organised with Fundación Diagrama Intervención Psicosocial a side-event on 7th July, on the subject: Mental health resources for young offenders.
• During the Full day meeting on children, the 8th March 2012, at the Human right Council Session on the Administration of Justice, the IJJO has already submitted a MHYO oral statement having the support of several organizations such as Penal Reform International and Open Society Justice Initiative.
• On the 7th to 9th March 2012, the IJJO had the opportunity to participate during the 3rd EFCAP Congress of the 'European Association for Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychology' and present the results of the MHYO project.
• In April 23rd-24th 2012 we are organizing jointly with UNODC in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Thailand a Side Event 'Mental Health and Young Offenders: A challenge for the justice and the health system' in Vienna on the 27th April 2012, during the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice 2012.

MHYO IJJO Recommendations

The IJJO believes that the most effective national advocacy programmes must be multi-agency. Collaboration between the health and the justice sector are crucial in safeguarding young offenders with mental health problems. It is anticipated that NGOs, universities, and the public administration of each country will work together during this process. This is the most important part of any advocacy campaign. It is hoped that through a multi-agency campaign involving all levels of civil society, a common understanding of the needs of young offenders with mental health problems, illnesses and disorders, will be reached and their rights upheld.

In order to effectively advice countries on the best policies to adapt with regard to young offenders with mental health problems, illnesses and disorders, the following recommendations have been devised.

MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUNG OFFENDERS (MHYO)

• Download MHYO IJJO Recommendations