Coding in prison as a valuable OUTside tool for employment Erasmus Project

Project Title

Coding in prison as a valuable OUTside tool for employment

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

When we look at the issue of criminal prevention and the effectiveness of prison sentences, we are immediately confronted with the alarming rate of recidivism among this population. In fact, according to a systematic worldwide review, rates of criminal recidivism are reported to be as high as 50% in many jurisdictions, and, unlike recorded crime rates in the general population, have not declined in recent years (Fazel & Wolf, 2015).
There is a recognition that this preparation for reintegration should start before the offenders’ release, during the execution of the sentence (Griffiths et al., 2007). Further, it is known that prison inmates who receive general education and vocational training are less likely to return to prison after release and more likely to find employment than others who do not receive such opportunities (Davis et al. 2013 in Crabbe, 2016).
While there are different types of education and training offered to inmates, these are more inclined to participate in programmes where they see clear opportunities to improve their skills and capabilities. Vocational programmes experience success because they are kept separate from traditional prison routines, provide follow-up services for inmates once released, and provide marketable training skills (Vacca, 2004).
In this hyperconnected digital society, where we are surrounded by IT devices and by software, not having basic knowledge in this area is just a challenge today as was being illiterate before.
Therefore, it is important that inmates are given the opportunity to develop ICT skills while serving their sentences, which encompass not only basic skills of daily use, but also skills that can be, in itself, a working tool, such as coding.
Coding helps practice 21st century skills such as problem solving, teamwork and analytical thinking. Furthermore, coding skills are in demand across a broad range of careers, not just for programmers.
Taking our inspiration from The Last Mile, and Coding4000 (prison coding projects), the Coding-OUT project aims to help break the cycle of incarceration by teaching inmates coding skills that can significantly increase their chances of employment post-release (skills with a high demand in the global job market), while helping supply companies with the skills they need. It attempts to achieve this outcome by developing a training programme for educators/trainers to prepare them to teach inmates basic programming skills, which is expected to have a positive impact on their employability after release from prison and, consequently, in their social reintegration.
Coding-OUT project aims to:
1) Empower inmates with marketable skills that lead to employment by developing a training programme in prison focusing on basic computer programming skills;
2) Enhance the inmates’ understanding of a hype-connected world and environment through increased knowledge of software and coding;
3) Improve the skills of prison trainers/educators to train inmates on basic programming by developing and piloting a training programme for staff (blended learning);
4) Promote the cooperation of prisons with external organisations that can provide job placement for inmates after release in the software development field
5) Raise the awareness of prison staff, management, educators/trainers and policy makers to the importance of digital/coding skills enhancement for inmates.
The activity of the project focused in two IO:
– IO2. Coding-out training curriculum and programme. Oriented to prison educators. The training was structure in 7 units.(unit 1-2 soft skills, unit 3-7 technical skills)
– IO4. Coding training course for inmates. Complementary training materials for inmates and piloting phase.
Despite the situation created by the impact of Covid 19 in 2020 and 2021, the consortium reached the expected results but it was necessary asking for the extension of two months of the project (ending date 31/10/2021). This situation impacted in the realisation of the training activity, piloting phase and some part of the project meetings.
The training activity C1 was carried in on-line format and in different dates
U3. FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNOLOGY (26/11/2020)
Number of participants in the training: 19
U4. ALGORITHMS (3/12/2020)
N of partic.: 13
U5. BASIC PROGRAMMING LANGUAJES (17/11/2020)
N of partic: 28
U6. WEB DEVELOPMENT (18/11/2020)
N of partic: 23
U7. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT (18/11/2020)
N of partic: 23
PRAC.U3-4 (26/01/2021)
N of partic: 15
PRAc. U5-6-7 (27/01/2021)
N of partic 14
For the piloting phase, the consortium faced a challenging situation because the use of internet is forbiden in prisons (for inmates) and movility and number of attendances to the trainings was restringed. At the end the piloting phase was executed in Portugal, Rumania and Spain.
Portugal, 3 piloting with 31 participants.
Rumania, has organised 3 pilot groups that took place between April 2021 and June 2021. 27 participants
Spain, 2 groups, 9 participan

Project Website

https://www.coding-out.org/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 208531,9 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACION DE INDUSTRIAS DE CONOCIMIENTO Y TECNOLOGIA – GAIA – EUSKALHERRIKO EZAGUTZA ETA TEKNOLOGIA INDUSTRIEN ELKARTEA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• EOLAS S.L.
• Centre d’Iniciatives per a la Reinserció
• QUALIFY JUST – IT SOLUTIONS AND CONSULTING LDA
• Asociatia Start pentru performanta
• UNIVERSIDADE DA BEIRA INTERIOR
• PENITENCIARUL BAIA MARE