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Description
In this project, VOLONTÉ CZECH and involved stakeholders (Czech prisons, Åpenhet AS, ProEduCo, Probation and Mediation Service, Prison Service, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, General Directorate of the Employment Department) respond to the stagnant recidivism and to the unresolved issue of a smooth transition of clients from imprisonment into everyday life. To address these issues, the project proposes a mentoring program for a pilot group of 150 clients from 5 prisons, based on the objectives and results of documents including the Final evaluation report of the completed projects RESTART II, REVENANT, RECOVERY, RESURGENT Jirice, VOL Qualification, Change is possible and the concept of imprisonment until 2025.
Thanks to the personal meetings with prisons, we created personal, organizational, technical and financial preconditions for the implementation of the program, which we plan to implement within the interconnected key activities. The main aim of the project is to create appropriate and complex conditions for resocialization and reintegration of clients and support them in the positive way of their development and fight recidivism. The target group consists of 12 mentors and 150 prisoners. We believe that the project will contribute to the creation of appropriate conditions for the resocialization of people after release. Due to the interconnection of activities of state institutions and NGOs, the continuity and complexity of services in the area of prevention will be achieved. A qualified approach of professionals and trained mentors will support the client''s positive changes and thus reduce the risk of recidivism. The resocialisation and development of positive attitudes to a decent life also contribute to issues such as social inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable group, namely of released convicts.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the lack of comprehensive support and treatment programmes for convicts that would prepare them and assist them upon release from prison. The unpreparedness of prisoners for the transition to freedom and the lack of assistance in meeting their needs leads to their frequent recidivism. The aim was to create appropriate conditions for resocialization and reintegration of convicts and to activate them to solve their problems and change towards non-recidivism.
We created a mentor training system and trained 29 mentors who worked with clients continuously during their sentence and after their release from prison, preparing them for life in freedom according to the mentoring methodology we had set up. We worked with the clients for about six months before leaving the prison/custody and six months after release, within the framework of an individual plan that responded to their needs. Mentors discussed with the client the overall situation, options for returning to family, previous employment and the client''s qualifications. Clients were able to complete a retraining course as part of the project. Prior to release, we addressed prison drop-off, housing options and specific job offers, job diagnostics, job preparation/training, and legal or debt counseling. Out of 178 clients entering the programme, 134 clients successfully completed it, 64 received retraining course, 65 succesfully closed their debt cases, over 100 got job after relaese, 14 dealt with our family law attorney about their children.
All of these activities were important to reduce the risk of recidivism for the particular client and promote a successful return to family and community.
The programme objective, improvement of the correctional system, was fulilled by project implementation. Project introduced a comprehensive services for clients aimed at positive change of their behaviour and habits. Work with clients took place in custody and after release. Clients received a full range of services, were in regular contact with a mentor throughout the project, and together they dealt with the transition to freedom, preparation for a new stage of life and contacts with family.
Summary of bilateral results
We were in regular contact with the partner, providing him with information about the progress of the project. Regular meetings of the project supervision participants took place, the partner from the donor country participated partly in person, but mostly online. The partner was a benefit to us thanks to his experience with records and databases, we addressed how to collect, work with and further share selected data effectively, safely and conceptually.