Youth Justice III was established to bridge the gap between punishment and rehabilitation by promoting a human rights-based approach to juvenile justice and youth development. Across many communities in Ghana, young people who are at risk of offending the law or who have already been in conflict with the law often face rejection, discrimination, lack of opportunities, and inadequate psychosocial support. The project transforms these realities by empowering young people with the knowledge, support systems, life skills, and opportunities needed to reintegrate positively into society and build sustainable futures.

At the heart of the project is the strengthening of youth resilience through prevention, rehabilitation, reintegration, and advocacy. The project intentionally works with vulnerable groups including street youth, teenage mothers, head porters (Kayayei), unemployed youth, young offenders, and ex-detainees. Through a participatory and inclusive approach, the initiative engages young people directly while also involving families, communities, state institutions, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, religious bodies, and duty bearers to create coordinated and long-term support systems.

The Youth Justice III project adopts the YMCA Power Space Strategy, which focuses on Inspiration, Ideation, Implementation, and Opportunity. This approach equips young people to identify challenges affecting their lives, develop innovative solutions, and actively participate in shaping their future. Through capacity-building workshops, psychosocial interventions, stakeholder engagements, and community sensitization programmes, the project empowers youth to understand their rights, build self-confidence, strengthen their decision-making abilities, and avoid pathways that may lead them into conflict with the law.

Learning and empowerment within Youth Justice III extend far beyond workshops and presentations. Across the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, and Volta Regions of Ghana, the project implemented practical community-based interventions tailored to the realities of young people in each location. These interventions included legal and human rights sensitization programmes, psychosocial counselling, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training, sports and recreational activities, aquaculture training, soap and hair conditioner production training, mentorship sessions, educational support, and reintegration assistance for young ex-detainees.

One of the project’s major strengths is its strong multi-stakeholder approach. The Ghana YMCA worked closely with institutions such as the Ghana Prisons Service, the Department of Social Welfare, the Ghana Police Service, the National Youth Authority, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, local assemblies, traditional authorities, and civil society organizations to ensure that the interventions addressed the real needs of vulnerable youth. Through this collaborative model, the project strengthened partnerships between communities and duty bearers while promoting accountability and improved access to justice and social protection services for young people.

The project also placed significant emphasis on psychosocial support and mental health. Staff, volunteers, probation officers, and stakeholders received specialized training in psychosocial interventions, trauma support, mental health management, and rights-based juvenile offender management. These interventions strengthened the capacity of stakeholders to engage young people with empathy, professionalism, and a deeper understanding of the social and emotional challenges confronting vulnerable youth.