Description
The project aims to develop and implement a model of intervention for prevention and harm reduction of drug use among prison inmates in three places of detention in Bulgaria: the Prisons in Pleven and Plovdiv and the Correctional Facility in the town of Boychinovtsi. An expert team with experience in the field of drug addictions from Bulgaria will train the officers of the three prisons and teams of local NGOs to work on drug use issues. Employees and NGO teams on the sites will implement intervention through training groups among prison inmates who are using or are at risk of drug use. There will be evaluated both the intervention among the prison inmates and the capacity of the staff to work with this category of prison inmates. The project will contribute to enhancing the professional capacity of the staff in three prisons, to improve the health and social status of prison inmates, to strengthen the partnership between detention settings and the non-governmental organizations. The Norwegian partner will bring its extensive experience in working with drug users within closed communities. The statistics of the Project Promoter, based on the field work of its outreach teams in Sofia, shows that over 70% of those addicted to drugs are of Roma origin. The situation is similar in other major cities of the country. The key project activity is the implementation of a specialized intervention among prison inmates for prevention of drug use. The intervention is intended to affect 350 prisoners in three target prisons including minimum 100 representatives of the Roma minority.
Summary of project results
The project “Health education for social prosperity” has been motivated by the identified shortages of the penitentiary system in working with persons using drugs or at risk of drug use, which is directly interlinked with the integrity possibilities of the prisoners. The project`s direction is to the most vulnerable groups of prison inmates – drug users, under-age and Roma community representatives. The activities have been implemented at the prison facilities in the cities of Boychinovtsi, Pleven and Plovdiv. Increased professional capacity of prison staff to work with prison inmates in risk of drug use has been ensured by training of 36 staff members.18 of the trainees later on took part in the training groups for prison inmates. They worked in teams with 9 representatives of local NGOs. A new model of intervention has been integrated for prevention and reduction of the harms of drug use in three prisons. 352 prison inmates have joined the training groups, 50 of them under-age and over 100 representatives of the Roma community. As a result of the training groups the prison inmates have acquired knowledge and skills to avoid risks related to drug use. In addition the related methodological base has been expanded by a comprehensive evaluation report on the effectiveness of the applied interventions and a practical guide on specialized interventions in prisons. In this way the project managed to achieve its overall goal to reduce vulnerability generated by drug use among prison inmates.
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership with the Norwegian foundation “Tyrili” contributed essentially for the achievement of the main project goal related to the integration of new interventions in prisons. The Norwegian experts visited Bulgaria three times during the project. Between whiles they were regularly corresponded by the project team and the experts carrying out the evaluation. During their visits they took part in the opening press-conference in Plovdiv, provided training to the prison and NGO staff and participated in the closing work meeting in Koprivshtica. They also participated in working meetings aimed at discussing and improving planned activities. The presentation of the Norwegian experience on the work with drug using prisoners contributed for the broadened views of the penitentiary personnel. They didn’t just get familiar to the innovative good practices in the area but also were consulted about what and how could be applied in the Bulgarian penitentiary practice. In May 2015 the PP and the partner took part in a working meeting with the representatives of the Norwegian Embassy in Bulgaria where the project was presented. H. E. Katharina Guro, Ambassador of Norway, participated in the final meeting of the experts and partners in Koprivshtica in April 2016. She delivered an interview for the informational film of the project.