Empowering juvenile offenders to reintegrate back into society
Implemented by Christina Noble Children’s Foundation | 2024-ongoing
The problem
Every child and young person deserve safety, care, and pathways to learning and a productive life. For many who end up in conflict with the law in Mongolia, these basics were missing long before any offence occurred. Nine in ten come from broken families, and over third had already dropped out of school before entering detention.
Once inside the detention centre, young people encounter facility and regulations designed for adults, with limited rehabilitation support. Upon release, they face stigma, exclusion and a fragmented system that offers little to help them rebuild their lives and increases the likelihood of reoffending.
The solution
Our portfolio partner Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit with nearly three decades of work inside Mongolia's only juvenile detention centre, is now taking its commitment further — deepening support for young offenders, advocating for stronger rehabilitation and reintegration systems, and ultimately reducing reoffending rates.
-
Providing vocational and life-skills training alongside therapy support.
-
Connecting with legal, educational and employment opportunities, while continuing offering psychosocial support.
-
Shifting attitudes through public campaigns and crime-prevention initiatives in schools and at-risk communities.
-
Promoting more humane, child-centred rehabilitation and working with government to strengthen reintegration services.
Results so far
289
Youth supported with rehabilitation and reintegration services.
Mongolia’s first evidence baseline on children in conflict with the law
Filling a long-standing evidence gap on the needs, rights and the conditions of children in detention, informing service improvements and policy advocacy.
Child-centred detention guidelines
Approved by General Executive Agency for Court Decision Enforcement, replacing adult-facility protocols.
Saruulkhuu's Journey: Rebuilding a future with education and opportunity
When Saruulkhuu arrived at the Rehabilitation Centre for Youth in 2022, he struggled with anger, anti-social behaviour, and academic disengagement. Like many others in the detention centre, his path was hindered by hardships, poverty, and limited opportunities.