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Description
The aim of the initiative is to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between institutions of correctional service system in Norway and Latvia, beyond the scope of the NFM 2014-2021 period programme “Correctional services”. More specifically, the target group will be staff of the correctional service in Norway and Latvia. Norway and Latvia established a very close and good cooperation in the previous programme period 2009-2014 and have achieved very good results – both on programme – and project level, and on the bilateral level. This cooperation was highly successful and Directorate of
Summary of the results
Under the allocation financing, 19 activities were implemented between 2022 and 2025. Among them was the international conference "Future Competencies for Future Prisons," organised by the Programme Operator in Riga, Latvia, in May 2023, with up to 100 participants from Latvia, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Estonia. The conference aimed to thoughtfully challenge participants and inspire new approaches to the development and implementation of modern work methods in correctional services. This topic is especially relevant in light of the new prison being built in the southwestern city of Liepāja, Latvia. The conference provided a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and experiences. Inspired by Scandinavian practices, effective public administration, and evolving societal values, participants concluded that the focus in correctional services is shifting toward rehabilitation — offering support to inmates, helping them reintegrate into society, and aligning them with shared social values. Cooperation with the Oslo Red Cross (Network After Imprisonment) was strengthened through mutual visits, culminating in a partnership agreement with the Latvian Prison Administration. Latvian representatives also participated in closing conferences in Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, and Romania, as well as the "Yellow Ribbon Run" in the Czech Republic, a symposium in Belgium, and the International Corrections and Prisons Association conference in Turkey.