I was saved from ruin"What Works in Reducing Re-offending

„I was saved from ruin“
What Works in Reducing Re-offending
Network Social Integration for the Prevention of Imprisonment
Federal State of Brandenburg / Germany
Claudia Möller, Ergokonzept AG
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Overview
• Where I come from:
– The network HSI, Federal State of Brandenburg / Germany
– Some facts and figures on youth delinquency
• What we do
– Ambulant social and vocational training courses
• Concept, methods, case studies
– Transition management in the juvenile justice system
„Wegebau“ (Road-building)
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
HSI – Structure
HSI
Social integration for the
prevention of imprisonment
Promotion
of integration and
employability of
prisoners and
ex-convicts
Work
instead of
Prison
Ambulant
social and
vocational training
courses
Network management: Ministry of Justice, Coordination and Information
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Some basic facts about HSI
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Part of the Operational Programme of the European Social Fund
1.5 million € per year / annual re-approval
70% from funds of the European Social Fund /ESF
30% Ministry of Justice and from communities
Established in 2002 with 9 organisations
Presently 16 organisations + Ministry of Justice
Areas of cooperation: meetings of projects heads, workstreams
for each project field, organisation of conferences, public
relations, common controlling...
• Presently: development of evaluation tools
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Decline of juvenile delinquency
March 2010 / Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior
Suspects under 21 years
Theft in total
Criminal property damage
Violent crime
Robbery / extortion under
threat of force
Assault injury in total
Aggravated assault and
grievous bodily injury
Minor assault with intent
Arson and caused fire hazard
g
Drug-related crime
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Figures: Inmates
Capacity /
Population rate
Wriezen Prison
Cottbus Prison
In total
140 / 86
108 / 96
240 / 182
Custody
15 / 8
36 / 22
51 / 30
Social treatment
21 / 17
17
Open prison
30 / 8
8
Imprisonment
In total
28.04. – 30.04.2010
206 /119
144 / 118
350 / 237
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Responsible Bodies
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Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Berlin e.V.
Cottbuser Jugendrechtshaus e.V.
Diakonisches Werk Neukölln-Oberspree e.V.
Future e.V.
Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft zur Förderung Brandenburger
Kinder und Jugendlicher mbH (GFB)
• Jugendwerkstatt Hönow e.V.
• Outlaw g GmbH
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Concept: training courses
• Target group
– Young and juvenile offenders (14-21) including
repeat offenders
– No sexual offences or violent crimes
– In advance of a formal court sanction or with court
directives
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Skills & educational background
„ We were taught never to give up, never to passively accept fate,
but to exhaust every last ounce of will and hope in the face of
any challenge.“ (E.K.)
„My father liked to say that „home holds no fear for me.“ We
understood what he meant. We knew that we could always come
home, that we could make a mistake, get defeated, but when all
was said and done, we would be respected ( ) at home.“ (E.K.)
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Training objectives
• Prevention of imprisonment
• Social and professional integration
• Enhancement of communication and conflict management
skills
• Conveyance of socially accepted behaviour to legally attain
personal goals
• Strengthening of self-esteem and personality
• Development and strengthening of motivation to live an
offence-free life
• Strengthening skills to re-organise and shape one`s every
day life
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Concept: training courses
• Combination of group-work and individual counselling
• Two trainers: male/female
• Group-work
– 6 max 10 participants
– Once a week over a period of about 20 weeks
• Individual counselling
– About whatever problems they may have
– One main focus (re)integration in education & job
• Curricula in place
• Cooperation and networking with a wide range of
partners
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Training contents
• Confrontation with reality and the effects of the offence(s)
• Empathy with other people and capacity to see the victim‘s
point of view
• Experiencing respect for oneself and one‘s personality
• Identification and formulation of goals for one`s future
lifeplan
• Respect for clearly defined rules and limits
• Identification of possibilities and potentials in order to
develop alternative behaviour and life models
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Training methods
• Curricula in place
• Application of a variety of methods from various
approaches and techniques
• Conditional upon
• topics
• needs of the group and individuals
• Resources of the organisation
• Sensitivity to gender-mainstreaming
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Working with exercises
• Think of a conflict you have
experienced. Where in your
body did you first feel the
tension? Please mark it on
the figure.
• The better you know what
signals your body sends in
conflicts, the better you can
react in the future.
Cotbuser Jugendrechtshaus e.V.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Working with a martial artist
•Anger Management
• Body language
•Hands-on experiences
Jugendwerkstatt Hönow e.V.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Involving sport & illness prevention
• Youth are often not very
fit
• No awareness of a healthy
lifestyle: food, sport,
mental health
Jugendwerkstatt Hönow e.V.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Involving sport & illness prevention
Climbing
Diakonisches Werk Neukölln-Oberspree e.V.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Theatre education
Talk show: „Should drugs be legalised?“
• Playing different roles:
e.g the parent of a drug
• Video recording
• Ongoing group evaluation
Diakonisches Werk Neukölln-Oberspree e.V.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Training participants
In total
Ed. and job
counselling
Successfully
Integrated
2006
137
130
37
2007
257
204
123
2008
303
245
110
2009
345
291
142
Year
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Case study
Kevin, 24
• First attempt at participation failed
• Expulsion due to bad behaviour
• Second attempt followed a court directive – initially the same
behaviour
• One of the trainers conversed with Kevin during a car ride and
managed to gain his trust
• Kevin told the trainer about his fear that group-work might
expose his traumatic family developments
• Behaviour changed completely: integration into a state-funded
job, debt couselling, successful training
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Case study
Eva, 19
• A delinquency career for several years
• Participation was recommended by the court assistance in juvenile court
• School dropout, experienced physical abuse
• Lived at times in an assisted-living facility and together with her boyfriend
• Future life-plan: to participate in Germany‘s Got Talent and become a star
• First attempt failed: Eva abandoned a pre-vocational training year and the training
course
• Second attempt at the beginning of March this year
• Intensive individual counselling
• She participates very actively in the group-work but is not able to manage
everyday life
• Current plan: to seek psychiatric counselling
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Case Study
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Case Study
Alex, 25
• Age at the time of the social training 20
• Sentenced to 1 year and 8 month – was preparing for his appeals
hearing
• Charges; aggravated battery, extortion under threat of force,
criminal property damage
• Initial behaviour: no real willingness to cooperate
• Appeals hearing after 15 group sessions: Sentenced to 1 year, 8
month in prison, suspended for 2 years (probation)
• Presently lives in Bremen, works at a Mc Donald`s as a trainer
for new staff
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Transition management
in the juvenile justice system
„Wegebau“
• Objectives
– Improvements in the transition management for the
youth prisons in Brandenburg
– Reducing re-offending rates by optimising cooperation
and networking of professionals within prison and
outside
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Transition management
„Wegebau“
What we do
• Implement workstreams – at each youth prison (Wriezen and
Cottbus)
– Participants: Ministry of Justice, prison staff, probation service,
education provider, external care system....
• Analyse the transition process and evaluate cooperations
• Continually improve cooperation and optimise processes
• Networking
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Transition management
„Wegebau“
One social worker for each youth prison
• To prepare inmates for life outside of prison, social worker
offers inmates counselling and support approximately 3 months
in advance of their release
• To provide follow-up counselling for up to 6 months after
release
• To learn from these experiences to improve management
• To support staff in exchange for contributing to the project
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Transition management
„Wegebau“
First experiences
• Differing rules and guidelines within the social
and health systems pose an obstacle for
cooperation among professionals
• Assessment of accustomed working practices
can lead to new forms of cooperation
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Thank you for your attention.
I look forward to your questions.
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK
Information
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Wolfgang Hänsel wolfgang.haensel@mdj.brandenburg.de
Ministry of Justice Federal State of Brandenburg +49(0)331 / 8663435
Elisabeth Theine elisabeth.theine@mdj.brandenburg.de
Ministry of Justice Federal State of Brandenburg +49(0)331 / 8663433
Clemens Russell russell@xit-online.de
xit GmbH +49(0)30 / 42020242
Claudia Möller moeller@ergokonzept.de
Ergokonzept AG +49(0)331 / 2801406
http://www.hsi-zabih.de
28.04. – 30.04.2010
STARR Conference, Cambridge UK