We are thrilled to announce the official launch of our new Erasmus+ project, Advancing Juvenile Justice and Detention Conditions in Europe (EPO4YOUTH), which officially kicked off on October 1st!

This crucial 30-month initiative is dedicated to addressing the critical and often underexplored area of detention conditions for young people across Europe. Our core objective is to enhance the effectiveness of the European Prison Observatory (EPO) network in protecting the rights of young detainees.

As the coordinating organization, Antigone is proud to lead this KA220-YOU Cooperation Partnership in Youth alongside nine incredible partners.

Key Project Goals

• Strengthen Collaboration among EPO members for better monitoring of juvenile detention.
• Establish a European Open-Source Data Hub to consolidate research and best practices for evidence-based policymaking.
• Advocate for Civil Society Involvement in detention monitoring and promote inclusive practices.

Ten partners from nine countries will bring in their extraordinary expertise on human rights and criminal justice: 

• Fachhochschule Dortmund (Germany)
• Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Association (Bulgaria)
• Greek Society for the Study of Crime and Social Control (Greece)
• Helsinski Fundation for Human Rights (Poland)
• Latvian Centre for Human Rights (Latvia)
• Associação Nacional Para o Desenvolvimento da Economia Social (Portugal)
• Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania - the Helsinki Comittee (APADOR-CH) (Romania)
• Europamente ETS (Italy)
• Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Hungary)

Follow this website and our LinkedIn page for updates on our progress as we work towards a more humane and rights-based juvenile justice system across the continent!

The European Prison Observatory (EPO) has officially launched its Linkedin page, creating a new hub for insight, analysis, and dialogue on European prison policies and conditions.

The EPO’s platform aims to be a crucial point of reference for anyone interested in justice, human rights, punishment, and detention conditions in Europe.

Following the EPO provides access to:

- Reliable and up-to-date information on prison systems across Europe.

- A community of researchers, activists, and policy-makers focused on prison reform and human rights.

- Good practices, case studies, and practical tools useful for advocacy, training, and policy work.

The EPO invites institutions, research bodies, and civil society to follow their work, connect, and join the conversation on the rights of incarcerated people, dignity, and transparency to be part of the change.