The DIACEN project aims to shed light on the adult education that takes place in the prison settings (being seen as different from work-related education or from professional training), on how experiencing adult education will bring benefits in the preparing-for-release process and reintegration process for all involved parties.
At a practical level, this requires increasing cooperation, inside the prisons walls among different actors as well as between prisons and local communities in order to ensure that the education provided in custody is supported and can continue post-release.
In order to build a custom-made solution for reintegration, DIACEN project benefits of a partnership of organizations from 5 different EU countries – Romania, Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy, all bringing their diverse experiences and expertise. The partnership is a balance and mix that reflects the prison education world realities at European and national level.
The work method proposed by the project and in the same time its innovative idea centres on DIALOGUE. DIACEN is based around the idea that the dialogue is a powerful method for delivering adult education. Building a community around authentic interaction could reduce massively the relapse / re-offend rates of the prisoners. The inmates need a programme for pre-release where all interested parties meet and develop together a solution with the motto: “Nothings for me that is made without me”.
Elements of the pre-release programme for inmates organize around the ideas of:
DIACEN activities are focused on perspective transformation, changing in perceptions, attitudes, and world-view that are more likely to be truly transformative and lasting.
At large, the activities will maximize all participants’ human potential and expand their sense of humanity.