Prisoners: Present Discussion and Contribution to The Future European Union. Project finalized description


The project Prisoners. Prisoners: Present Discussion and Contribution to the Future European Union was funded with the support of the European Union under the Programme “Europe for Citizens”

Strand 2 Measure 2.3 “Civil Society Projects“

11 events have been carried out within this project:

Event 1

Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including: 3 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas, Kretinga (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Almeria (Spain), 1 participant from the city of Meinz (Germany), 4 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare (Romania), 41 participants from the cities of Heraklion Crete, Athens (Greece).

Location / Dates: The event took place in (Heraklion Crete, Greece), from 29th June to 6th July 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.1. Workshops on ‘Prisons and Human Rights’

The main objective of the workshop was to sensitize the administration to human rights issues; suggest mechanisms to monitor prison conditions effectively and ensure accountability in respect of violation of human rights; discuss the problems of prison administration and ways to motivate and develop prison staff.

Event 2
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 3 participants from the cities of Kaunas, Marijampolė, Alytus (Lithuania), 2 participants from the cities of Meinz, Ludwigsburg-Kuchen (Germany), 45 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare and others (Romania).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), from 25th May to 28th May 2016 .
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.2. Discussion ‘How much freedom can you take away from someone?’. Prison and isolation conditions are build on sensory deprivation and especially tough conditions, situation in different EU countries. Cruel and inhuman: Conditions of isolation for detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Event 3
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 3 participants from the cities of Kaunas, Marijampolė, Alytus (Lithuania), 2 participants from the cities of Meinz, Ludwigsburg-Kuchen (Germany), 45 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare and others (Romania).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), from 25th May to 28th May 2016 .
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.3. ‘Art as Therapy’.

1.3.1. Interactive workshops ‘Freedom to create’. What can art therapy offer in prison environment? Therapy as integral part of treatment plan: relationships with family and friends, strengthened and supported.

1.3.2. Exhibition of prisoners paintings ‘Art makes me a new man’.

Event 4
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 3 participants from the cities of Kaunas, Marijampolė, Alytus (Lithuania), 2 participants from the cities of Meinz, Ludwigsburg-Kuchen (Germany), 45 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare and others (Romania).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), from 25th May to 28th May 2016 .
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.4. Open Discussion: Suicide Among Corrections Officers. Risks of stress, burnout, depression, and suicide rates among police officers, case study.

Event 5
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including: 3 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas, Kretinga (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Almeria (Spain), 1 participant from the city of Meinz (Germany), 4 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare (Romania), 41 participants from the cities of Heraklion Crete, Athens (Greece).

Location / Dates: The event took place in (Heraklion Crete, Greece), from 29th June to 6th July 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.5. ‘Specialty: Prisoner, ex-prisoners career opportunities and paths’.

1.5.1. Conference. Prisoners’ involvement in community-based crime influence. Career development programs in corrections. Altruistic activity as correctional treatment. Prisoners of freedom: Human rights in socially poor groups. Opportunities of courses and careers advice for prisoners, also professionals involved in the judicial process.

1.5.2. research ‘Volunteered when I was in prison. My life is different now’.

Event 6
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including: 3 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas, Kretinga (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Almeria (Spain), 1 participant from the city of Meinz (Germany), 4 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare (Romania), 41 participants from the cities of Heraklion Crete, Athens (Greece).

Location / Dates: The event took place in (Heraklion Crete, Greece), from 29th June to 6th July 2016.

Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.6. Lecture and seminars of non-formal education ‘Opportunities of volunteering 2015-2017′. Themes: different ways to engage in volunteering, modern organizations, volunteering ways, types.

Event 7
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 3 participants from the cities of Kaunas, Vilnius, Biržai (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Copenhagen (Denmark), 3 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), 43 participants from the cities of Barcelona, Almeria (Spain).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Barcelona, Almeria (Spain), from 13th-17th of April, 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.7. Guided tour to jail ‘On the Other Half of the Barricades’ (different countries). Public discussion about experiences in prison.

Discussions:

‘European Project Long-Term Imprisonment and Human Rights’.
Conclusions, major changes in penal policy. Change in European penitentiary model.
The Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the Istanbul Protocol.
Comity Against Torture of EC.
The right of Asylum.

Event 8
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including: 3 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas, Tauragė (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Meinz (Germany), 46 participants from the cities of Lisbon, Caxias (Portugal).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Lisbon (Portugal), from 14^th to 17^th (8-21 research) February, 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

1.8. ‘Breaking Bars’.

1.8.1. ‘Employment’ (personal development analysis, workshops, employability and business creation consultancies).

1.8.2. ‘With Shakespeare’ (sessions of reintegration through theatrical methodology, psychodrama and art),

1.8.3. ‘TO BE’ (regular practice of Meditation sessions.

Working methods: Workshops (training class or seminar in which the participants work individually and/or in groups to solve actual work related tasks to gain hands-on experience); discussion, art and psychological activities, conferences, lectures and seminars, research and tours.

Event 9
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including: 2 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Nea Moudania Halkidiki (Greece), 6 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), 40 participants from the cities of Meinz, Rhineland-Palatinate, prison Rohrbach, Juvenile prison Schifferstadt (Germany).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Meinz (Germany), from 19^th to 22^nd of January, 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

Introduction of partners, overview on the project, our time-table (part 1), place: Meeting room JVA Rohrbach

Aivaras Daukantas from Association ‘Novi Homines’ and
Martin Zaschel from MINISTERIUM DER JUSTIZ UND FÜR VERBRAUCHERSCHUTZ (Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection), Germany and other partners).

Guided tour to jail “On the other half of the barricades”; main topic “The treatment of prisoners” at JVA Rohrbach

Annabel Franzen,
Different staff members,
Enlisted prisoners.

Aivaras Daukantas from Association ‘Novi Homines’ and
Martin Zaschel from MINISTERIUM DER JUSTIZ UND FÜR VERBRAUCHERSCHUTZ (Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection), Germany and
other partners.

Presentations on different topics

Prisons and human rights
European Prison Rules
CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment)

The prison system in Germany
Penal law and the focus on treatment
Sentence planning
Measurements
Resources

Art & Therapy in prison (“Public debate”),

“Freedom to create” by Evaldas Jansas (63’), Film presentation,
questions on the Lithuanian prison system;
Art therapy in the juvenile prisons in Rhineland-Palatinate

All partners,
Staff member of Lithuanian prison system – Aivaras Daukantas, Kaunas Remand prison Parole board member;
Members of the department of the penal system and department of criminal law of the Ministry of Justice RLP;
Katharina Hammer, Juvenile prison Schifferstadt.

Prison staff and it’s vocational and educational training

- motivation
- ethics and competencies
- health

Martin Zaschel, The desk-officer for the education of prisoners and for the vocational education and train-ing of prison staff;
Dr. Esther Vornholt, Justice Academy RLP;
Other experts of the prison regime.

Unit 3;

Prisoner’s education

- diagnostics
- needs and ressources
- school education
- vocational training
- treatment versus work/labour
- employability and transition management

Martin Zaschel,The desk-officer for the education of prisoners and for the vocational education and train-ing of prison staff;
Dr. Esther Vornholt, Justice Academy RLP;
Alexander Kahren, Jörg Neumann, teachers in juvenile prison Wittlich.

During the events, this document was presented – Prison Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice, Annual Report of the year 2014.

Event 10

Participation: The event involved 5 citizens, including: 2 participants from the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Lisbon (Portugal), 1 participant from the citiy of Sliema (Malta).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Sliema (Malta), from 5th-7th of October, 2016.
Short description: The aim of the event was as follows.

Following issues were discussed:

– Document with all the relevant information regarding the involved partners of the project;

– Presentation of the partners;

– Relevant info about their activities and contribution to the project;

– Predicted timetable

– Relevant information regarding the contract of the project.

The preparatory meeting took place in the University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta.

Event 11

Participation: The event involved 75 citizens, including: 3 participants from the cities of Nea Moudania Halkidiki , Heraklion Crete (Crete), 2 participants from the city of Lisbon (Portugal), 6 participants from the cities of Bistrita, Satu Mare, Baia Mare (Romania), 1 participant from the city of Meinz (Germany), 1 participant from the city of Almeria (Spain), 62 participants from the cities of Kaunas, Vilnius, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Alytus, Šiauliai (Lithuania).

Location / Dates: Kaunas, Lithuania 20^th November, 2015.

Short description: 2015 20th of November an international conference ‘Prisoners: Present Discussion and Contribution to the Future European Union’ took place. During the conference, Lithuanian and foreign speakers shared their experiences and insights on the condemnation of employment, qualifications, released from prison individuals, discrimination and other problems and way of resolving them.

Also, a Prison visit to Kaunas Remand Prison was organized.

All Project activities were attended by representatives from the Prison Departments, the National Human Rights Commission, Commission for Women rights, retired and serving officers from the prisons and police departments, ex-prisoners and their family members, members from NGOs, academicians, bureaucrats and lawyers.

In all Project events, there were visits to Prisons and Open Discussions organized.

The appropriateness:

*Activities helped create and maintain contact with the community and community institutions;

*Wide range of activities;

*The number of people reached was very high.

The European dimension:

*Themes were actual for representatives from all EU countries;

*The language of art was understood in all EU countries.

Dissemination reports to EACEA:

Spread of information Priliminary summary Novi Homines 2016 Jan 26th (1)

Spread of information Priliminary summary 2 Novi Homines 2016 March 31st (1)

Spread of information Preliminar summary 3 Novi Homines 2016 November