Prisoners’ Active Citizenship Erasmus Project

Project Title

Prisoners’ Active Citizenship

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Home and justice affairs (human rights & rule of law)

Project Summary

Context/background of the project:The European PAC project (Prisoners’ Active Citizenship) contributes to an important priority of the Erasmus Plus programme. It promotes social inclusion as it aims to increase participation and lifelong learning among one of the most disadvantaged groups of society: prisoners. The project also increased empowerment among this population. Concretely, the PAC project realized new knowledge and innovative pathways in prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life to improve their social inclusion and empowerment. This project is produced against the background of legal and human rights prisoners have to participate in different prison activities (e.g., in education, sport activities, cultural activities), and being actively involved in the organisation of prison life (e.g., democratic participation, involvement in the organisation of prison activities). Throughout Europe, more than 1 400 000 people are imprisoned. The prison population is diverse in terms of nationality, ethnicity, languages mastered, age, etc. Although prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life has been related with diverse positive outcomes such as improvement of skills, self-esteem, self-confidence, and better relationships between prisoners and prison staff, it has been found that there is a lack of knowledge about how to develop, implement and support different types of prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life, in particular for diverse groups of prisoners (including prisoners awaiting trial, foreign speaking prisoners, illiterate prisoners, etc.). objectives, type/profile of participants; description of undertaken activities;To anticipate this gap, the PAC consortium did undertake several steps. First, the partnership developed a state of play in which they indicate good/ learning practices across Europe in which prisoners are seen as active citizens. This state of play is based on a review of the literature and the results of an online survey. Second, the PAC consortium developed, tested and implemented innovative learning practices to increase prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life in 5 European countries (i.e., Belgium, Croatia, Italy, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom), based on this state of play. Using process and product evaluations, these innovative learning areas has been scientifically investigated in order to develop a toolkit for professionals to realize new European learning areas. In this toolbox, practical tips and tricks for local and regional institutions for realizing learning areas are given. Finally, another important part of the PAC project is the strategic influence on local, regional, national and European policy makers in order to facilitate future learning areas in order to increase the participation possibilities and chances of prisoners. Each country organised a local multiplier event in order to ensure sustainable use of the toolkit and future development of innovative learning areas in which prisoners’ participation and involvement are central. Besides, also a European study day has been organised to spread the results of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 244178,05 Eur

Project Coordinator

DE RODE ANTRACIET VZW & Country: BE

Project Partners

• UNIONE ITALIANA SPORT PER TUTTI ASSOCIAZIONE DI PROMOZIONE SOCIALE RETE ASSOCIATIVA NAZIONALE
• Prisoners’ Education Trust
• Changes&Chances
• UDRUGA ZA KREATIVNI SOCIJALNI RAD
• VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL