Brazil: Brazilian judges listening to youth in conflict with the law

The various institutional players in Brazil are placing increasing priority on dialogue in their efforts to improve the juvenile law system. During the months of March and April of this year, the Vozes project, a partnership between the Brazilian Association of Magistrates, Promoters of Justice and Public Defenders of Children and Youth (ABMP) and Terre des hommes (Tdh), allowed several dozen young people to express their opinions on the educational measures being implemented for youth who have committed offences. Vozes forms an integral part of a global project for all of Brazil, with Tdh having organised the discussion groups in five states in the northeast. The 24th ABMP Congress concluded the said project and provided a platform for presenting the results.

The object of the project was to listen to and analyse the opinions of youth in conflict with the law on topics such as violations of the law, justice and socio-educational measures. The adolescents described the positive changes in their lives and their reintegration into their families and communities. The discussion groups validated a restorative reinsertion process using non-repressive measures. The project’s results were presented and discussed during the ABMP Congress, held from 16 to 18 May 2012 in Natal and attended by judges and legislators as well as by a youth delegation from the city.

This event is extremely important for defining future Brazilian policy in the area of juvenile law, because it gathers all the decision-makers of the Brazilian judicial structures together in one place. However, it does even more that. The 24th ABMP Congress also hosted the 5th Regional Assembly of the International Association of MERCOSUR Juvenile Judges. The Vozes project is thereby having an international influence in South America and signifies recognition on the part of the Brazilian government of the work being undertaken.