“Beyond the open doors?! Turning the corner in a different world”

Project number: GRU-07-PAR-128-TM-BE-R

Implementation period: 2007-2009

Action type: GRUNDTVIG LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS

In January 2006 European partners of different countries met each other in Lancaster on a contact seminar regarding ‘Prison Education’. The idea of “Open Doors?! Turning the corner in a different world” was born.

Project objectives:

• international exchange and common learning on politics, theory and praxis of penitentiary system in the transformation processes of the partner countries
• improving the knowledge of prisoners requirements among all stakeholders who are involved in the project
• sharing knowledge and experience among the partner countries regarding the situation of imprisoned persons and their access and opportunities to lifelong learning
• identifying and analyzing the institution framework for supporting imprisoned persons in their reintegration process from the perspective of private / public partnership
• increasing the awareness of the target group towards the importance of lifelong learning in their reintegration process
• develop a tool that is useful when prisoners are released for  a better reintegration

Project partners:

• Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk Artevelde from Belgium
• Adult Education Centre of Tessaloniki of Greece
• State Prison of Midtjyland of Denmark
• Centre for Promoting Lifelong Learning from Romania

Prisoners in the four countries (10 in each country) were interviewed in 2006 on their vision on reintegration.  We analysed the results of these depth-interviews, questions about the needs were filtered and afterwards exchanged in the project meeting in Greece, Thessaloniki. The definite focus was to work on a ‘Golden Guide’; with the symbol of a compass. A small pocket book about 8 themes was developed. The 5 common themes are: education, work, justice, money, living. Some countries also had extra themes such us free time, new media and health. In all of the countries a lot of organizations gathered their knowledge to define the content of the guide. They were put together in a Reflection and Development Group.

In Romania, both Timisoara and Arad penitentiaries as well as the National Agency of Penitentiary in Bucharest had an important role in finishing the guide using active involvement of the inmates. In Belgium and Romania there was a strong focus on the participation of the prisoners. They gave feedback and input, some prisoners more or less worked out entire chapters.