Description
Women deprived of liberty represent a category of inmates which require specific educative and psycho-social measures, adapted to their characteristics and needs. This has also been noted on visits of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) in Romania, which highlighted the need to give special attention to vulnerable groups in prison. The project aims at strengthening the capacity of the Gherla prison in particular, and of the penitentiary system in general, to efficiently assist the psycho-social recovery of women deprived of liberty through establishing a therapeutic community centre for them in Gherla prison, developing special psycho-social recovery programs for their assistance, as well as by improving the professional competence and knowledge of the prison staff working with them as to ultimately facilitate a better social reintegration. The target group of the project is represented by women deprived of liberty, including Roma and prison staff working with them. The role of Bredtveit prison, as Donor Project Partner, is to provide expertise for the development of the therapeutic community centre in line with its best practices and experience gained in the area.
Summary of project results
Considering the deficiencies identified at the level of Romanian penitentiaries by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in terms of inadequate material conditions, overcrowding of detention spaces, insufficient attention paid to vulnerable groups such as women, insufficient training of the staff, the National Administration of Penitentiaries promoted this project as a means of addressing these shortcomings. The objective of the project was fully achieved, consisting in strengthening the capacity of Gherla Prison, in particular, and of the penitentiary system, in general, to efficiently assist the psycho-social recovery of women deprived of liberty by establishing a therapeutic community centre for this vulnerable group of prisoners in Gherla Prison, by developing special psycho-social recovery programmes for their assistance, as well as by improving the professional competence and knowledge of the prison staff working with women deprived of liberty. The following outputs were delivered after implementing the main activities of the project: - a functional therapeutic community centre for women deprived of liberty with a capacity of 60 detention places (690 sqm built area) that observe the minimum standard of 4 sqm living space per detainee was set up and equipped in Gherla Prison; - a programme for personal optimization and 3 protocols for treating depression, anxiety and personality disorders of women deprived of liberty were drafted, applied to 110 such women, including Roma ethnics, printed in 320 copies (80 copies each) and distributed to prisons having women in custody; - 60 prison staff working with women deprived of liberty were trained on psycho-diagnose and clinical evaluation, application of the developed personal optimization programme and clinic protocols (i.e. depression, anxiety, personality disorder), as well as on therapeutic community centre methodology; - 50 prison staff working with women deprived of liberty participated in 5 study visits in Norway, aiming at exchanging best practices in this area with their Norwegian counterparts.
Summary of bilateral results
The project helped strengthening the bilateral relations between Norway and Romania by offering the framework for benefiting from the Norwegian expertise, know-how and best practice in what concerns the assistance for the psycho-social recovery of women deprived of liberty. Thus, the project was implemented by the Project Promoter in partnership with Bredtveit Prison, which was involved in carrying out the activities related to the: - setting up and endowment of the therapeutic community center for women deprived of liberty; - development of a personal optimization programme and of 3 clinic protocols for treating depression, anxiety and personality disorders for women deprived of liberty; - organising 5 study visits in Norway for 50 Romanian specialists working with women deprived of liberty; - delivering 3 training sessions including a training of trainers’ session for the prison staff working with women deprived of liberty; - disseminating the results of the project to other penitentiary units that are specialized in women custody.