CHANCE

Project Name: CHANCE – Community Service as an Alternative Measure for Juvenile Offenders

Summary CHANCE is a 24-month Erasmus+ KA205 Strategic Partnership in Youth, aiming to develop more rehabilitative and child-friendly community service practices across Europe. Coordinated by Freedom Gate Greece, the project responds to the need for alternative measures to incarceration for juvenile offenders, with a focus on increasing their engagement, emotional awareness, and reintegration opportunities. By building on existing good practices in Finland, Romania, and other partner countries, CHANCE contributes to shaping evidence-based policy and professional standards for juvenile justice.

Main Objectives

• Promote rehabilitation-centered approaches to community service for juveniles
• Map and assess successful existing practices across the EU
• Train professionals and volunteers to apply ethical, developmental and restorative methods
• Raise awareness on the benefits of alternative sanctions for youth
• Engage civil society in juvenile justice processes through outreach and volunteering
• Create policy and practice recommendations for long-term reform

Target Groups

Direct beneficiaries:

• Correctional services, probation departments, local authorities and NGOs managing community sanctions

Indirect beneficiaries:

• Juvenile offenders subject to community service measures following judicial decisions
• Volunteers and educators involved in rehabilitation pathways
• Municipalities and EU justice stakeholders

Key Activities

• Thematic research on rehabilitative practices in community service
• Creation of a practical training manual for professionals and volunteers
• Implementation of two multi-day international training sessions
• Awareness campaigns promoting alternatives to incarceration
• Development of an evaluation system and quality assurance tools
• Four transnational project meetings (Greece, Romania, Finland, Greece)
• Public dissemination conference with stakeholder participation

Learning/Teaching/Training Activities

• LTT1 – Athens, Greece: Training on theoretical and scientific knowledge of juvenile justice, mediation, anti-radicalization, restorative practices, and moral dilemma workshops
• LTT2 – Murcia, Spain: Practical exchange on mentoring, vocational pathways, sport-based inclusion, service guidance, and coaching techniques. Includes on-the-job training in probation services and rehabilitative sport models

Project Partners

• Freedom Gate Greece – Coordinator and host of TPMs & LTT1
• Probation Services of Greece – Expert partner in juvenile offender measures
• Fundación Diagrama Intervención Psicosocial (Spain) – Host of LTT2, dissemination leader
• UISP Ciriè Settimo Chivasso (Italy) – Sport-based inclusion and social reintegration
• Silta-Valmennusyhdistys ry (Finland) – Vocational rehabilitation and coaching
• Asociația Sportul Pentru Toți Suceava & European Strategies Consulting (Romania) – Evaluation and sport methodologies
• UPSDA & Courage Foundation (Bulgaria) – Awareness campaign design and youth outreach

Implementation Period

• Start date: 1 September 2019
• End date: 31 August 2021
• Four TPMs hosted in Greece, Romania, Finland, and Greece
• Two LTT activities in Athens and Murcia
• Parallel local activities and training sessions in partner countries

Funding & Support

• Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme – KA205 Youth Strategic Partnerships
• Managed and monitored by Freedom Gate Greece
• Contributions from civil society, probation services, and academic experts

Legacy & Impact

CHANCE delivers a comprehensive manual and training path for professionals working with juvenile offenders. It repositions community service not just as punishment, but as a structured opportunity for growth, dignity and restitution. With over 400 beneficiaries engaged, the project fosters more humane and effective justice practices, and supports EU-wide reform in youth rehabilitation.