Together for Systemic Change in Criminal Justice Erasmus Project

Project Title

Together for Systemic Change in Criminal Justice

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Inclusion – equity; Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Project aims at solving the problem of social exclusion of people with criminal past, their difficult reintegration into society and the resulting high level of recidivism. This problem has serious social and economic consequences. The issue of prison systems reform and integration of incarcerated persons into society is one of the priorities of the EU, Council of Europe and its member states.

OBJECTIVES
Project is focusing on support of systemic changes leading to better reintegration of ex-offenders in 4 countries – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands and United Kingdom, using the methodology of collective impact.
Project is focusing on exchange of experience and sharing of best practices. Successful reintegration of ex-prisoners requires a complex approach, connectedness between the criminal justice system and social system and cooperation of diverse actors. There is a dare need for diverse stakeholders to join forces in developing, piloting and rolling out systemic initiatives that would increase the quality, interconnectedness and efficiency of reintegration services.

Main objective: Support of systemic change of the criminal justice system – from a punitive towards a more restorative approach.
Exchange of good practice and experience between partners working in the field of criminal justice with two aims:
– improvement of cooperation between different stakeholders, mainly NGOs and state authorities based on principles of collective impact
– improvement of the system of reintegration of ex-offenders

METHODOLOGY
In order to trigger systemic change we will work on three levels:
– individual level: improving our reintegration programmes for people with criminal past and empowering them to find their way back to normal life
– systemic level: initiating and improving cooperation between different stakeholders, mainly NGOs and the state
– level of the society: changing the attitudes of general pubic towards people with criminal past
Good practices will be disseminated in the partnership countries.

PARTICIPANTS
Staff from NGOs, acedemia and state institutions working in the field of criminal justice, 5 from each country/20 in total

ACTIVITIES
2 transnational project meetings
4 field trips to partnership countries with participation of diverse stakeholders
1 dissemination event for 80 participants in Czech Republic
Dissemination of best practices in partnership countries

RESULTS DURING THE PROJECT
– Setting up a core group of change makes from the 4 partner organisations/countries which will meet 3 times a year to exchange good practice and experience: 8 persons, 7 meetings
– Creating national plans of transferring best practices in the 4 partnership countries, continuous evaluation of its implementation: 4 plans
– Setting up a broader group of stakeholders in criminal justice in the 4 partnership countries, nominated by the core group, involved in implementing the national plans: 20 persons
RESULTS ON THE COMPLETION:
– Existence of partnerships of diverse stakeholders in the 4 countries helping to spread the best practices and initiate systemic change based on principles of collective impact; their cooperation will continue after the completion of the project

LONG TERM BENEFITS:
– higher quality and accessibility of reintegration services, reacting on main criminological factors in the particular countries
– overall decrease in recidivism which leads to both economic and social benefit for the society

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 83775 Eur

Project Coordinator

RUBIKON Centrum, z.ú. & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• STICHTING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE NEDERLAND
• Criminal Justice Alliance
• Konzultacne a informacne centrum EDUKOS