More information
Description
Young people who have committed anti-social and criminal offences are the most at-risk and difficult target group that is growing in number and is getting more and more difficult to integrate. Despite the social interventions and corrective measures carried out, that have not changed for decades, the majority of these young people grow up to become the most serious criminal offenders. In addition to the Ministry of Interior structures, the Local Committees fighting Juvenile Anti-social Behaviour (LCJASB), social services and educational institutions, the civil sector has to step in to help their socialization and bring change. The most serious corrective measure under the LCJASB Act is placement in Juvenile Correctional Boarding Schools which unfortunately does not have any impact and does not achieve the expected change after the end of the corrective penalties. The project aims at developing, testing and introducing a new approach to integrate the girls placed in a correctional boarding school that can be applied as well by the other social services for children and young people from risk groups. As a result of the project, innovative activities will be introduced for socialization and overcoming of deviant attitudes and behaviour of children and young people, raised outside of family environment in institutions and with imposed corrective penalties under the LCJASB Act. This model provides for active involvement of citizens through mentoring to build social skills, develop personal qualities and help facilitate resocialization. The mentoring programme will enhance social skills, develop the personal qualities of the target group and facilitate employment of girls of age after the end of their correctional measure and stay in the correctional facility.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to introduce an innovative approach for correctional and educational work with the schoolgirls from the country''s only Correctional Boarding School in the village of Podem, Pleven region - with the active participation of the local community. The main activities included the development and implementation of the Mentoring Programme, the Social Skills Programme, creative workshops and application of an impact measurement system.
In the course of the project’s implementation, a methodology for the Mentoring Programme was developed on the basis of resilience, a procedure was prepared for the selection of mentors, and training of the formed mentoring team was conducted to work with the target group. Mentors held informal trainings for personal growth, discussions, case studies, active individual and group communication. Family vacations and activities were held using the following instruments: psycho-drama, world café, forum theater, and art therapy. A Social Skills Programme was implemented, including visits to cultural events and public institutions. The creative workshops included classes in fine arts, applied and performing arts. On the basis of a methodology developed for measuring the impact, the actual results of the approach introduced were examined and defined. A network of institutions and organizations was established to continue the project activities after finalizing the project and to multiply the approach.
At the final Conference of the Future, the results of the project were publicly presented in order to motivate organizations and institutions working with children and young people at risk to introduce the "Mentoring Support" approach. A declaration was voted on to take concrete steps to extend the approach already in place.
The project’s website: https://fondchitalishta.com/