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Description
One of the main causes of criminal recidivism is unemployment. The “Trainee Reshape Program” project is aimed at people serving their sentences in the Caxias Prison and who have between 9 and 18 months on their sentence. With a duration of 20 months, the project will reinforce the social and professional skills of the beneficiaries and provide technical training in the field of ceramics, to give them competencies for the job market. The project aims to have people from the prison community hired by 3 companies.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address the significant issue of prisoner reintegration in Portugal. As of April 2021, there were 11,260 inmates, 92.9% of whom were men, 84.5% were Portuguese nationals (December 2019), and 77.4% were aged between 19 and 49 (December 2019), thus in their active working years with prospects of returning to the Portuguese labor market. However, only 12% worked for external entities, and just 1,236 inmates had access to professional training annually (December 2019). Public data on recidivism rates in Portugal is unavailable, but it is estimated to align with the global average of 75% (Prison Fellowship International). If 75% of individuals reoffend, it indicates that the execution of sentences does not provide the necessary tools for successful social reintegration.
The primary cause identified for this issue was the lack of professional opportunities for this community. Only 47.6% of the prison population had some form of prison work, mostly within the prison system itself (e.g., cleaning, maintenance, canteen), making it impossible to continue working post-release. Additionally, only 10% of inmates participated in professional training activities. Both prison jobs and most opportunities for ex-inmates were precarious, perpetuating cycles of poverty and potentially leading to antisocial behavior. The fundamental principle of normalization dictates that prison life should resemble life in freedom as closely as possible; personal and professional development opportunities are crucial and bring prison routines closer to the life inmates will eventually return to.
Therefore, the solution involved creating work and reintegration opportunities for the prison community. These opportunities included personal and professional development training, as well as support in reintegrating into the labor market and job placements.
The project ran from May 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, aiming to improve the employability profile of the prison community and reduce recidivism rates. It sought to empower beneficiaries through non-formal training in essential social and professional skills for their reintegration into the labor market, as well as ceramic techniques training, providing participants with practical skills. To create employment opportunities, Reshape established contacts with various companies and organized co-creation sessions focused on inclusive recruitment, particularly the hiring of ex-inmates.
As a result of these activities, several key products were developed: a toolkit for companies with best practices for recruiting and integrating ex-inmates, a socio-labor training manual for replicating and expanding the initiative, and ceramic pieces created by the participants, which will be part of exhibitions to raise awareness about the issue and showcase the talent within prisons.
The capacity-building component was based on the conducted diagnosis and aimed to address the identified needs, particularly in terms of structure, governance and leadership, operations management, and human resources. The RESHAPE team was trained to better respond to the challenges inherent in managing a social organization, assuming an improvement in the methods and tools applied for greater transparency in the management and reporting of operations, including human resources management in the areas of financial management and communication and multimedia.
In terms of results the project largely met across its objectives. Beneficiaries reported, through self-response questionnaires and individual feedback interviews, that they gained skills relevant to the labor market. Regarding soft skills, they highlighted activities that promoted teamwork and communication. They valued guest visits, such as a mindfulness facilitator, which helped them introduce changes in their daily lives.
In regards to establishing relationships with companies, the perceived benefits gradually increased as some companies initially showed resistance to working with or hiring this target group. Consistent awareness efforts and showcasing successful cases were necessary to reverse this trend. During the co-creation session, participating companies expressed willingness to hire this group, although they felt underprepared. Throughout the project, Reshape''s support before, during, and after the integration process helped partner companies become more confident.
Finally, the project received very positive feedback from the general community on the communication content produced, highlighting a significant need for greater clarity on the prison system topic.