“Prisoner training and social/work re-entry” CHAMBER

 WORLD CHAMBERS COMPETITION APPLICATION
PROJECT NAME:“Prisoner training and social/work re-entry”
CHAMBER: Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce (Cámara Chilena
de la Construcción, CChC)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
One of the main challenges facing justice-related public policies in Chile is the shortfall in
prison facilities, both in terms of quality and appropriate quantity for the existing prison
population (shortfall of 34%). This has been recognized by the authorities, who have
understood that in addition to urgently expanding prison capacity, alternative measures are
required. The prison crisis in Chile is significant for public security reasons, since prisons are
a source of crime spread but also because the prison system does not ensure respect for the
fundamental rights of prisoners. Rehabilitation and re-entry of prisoners has not been
considered systematically in Chile.
The Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce (Cámara Chilena de la Construcción, CChC) is a trade
association whose main objective is to foster the development of the construction sector as an essential
component of national development, in the context of a social market economy based on private
initiative. Throughout its 61 years of history, the Chamber has also aimed to support the welfare of
Chileans through its Social Network (Red Social).
The project promotes prisoner work and social re-entry through job training and the acquisition of
proper working habits and values, training for a trade in the construction sector. The inmates receive
economic support through transport and lunch allowances plus a monthly allowance conditional on an
80% minimum monthly attendance. After the training, the Chamber places the beneficiaries in a job
from a partner firm. Since then, follows a monitoring period tracking the employment situation of the
beneficiary.
Between 2009 and 2011 a total of 410 beneficiaries were selected to the first part of the training
process. The number of inmates enrolled for the training program is lower than those who started the
work habits and values training, usually because the correctional police can withdraw their permission to
continue due to bad behavior or non-compliance of rules. The percentage of people who enter the job
training stage has risen from 77% in 2010 to 90% in 2011 and 2012 (even though the final figure for
2012 is not final because we are just in the middle of this process). Practically nearly all who started the
trade training process completed it and were placed in internships in companies in 2010 and 2011 and
the same projections can be made for 2012. The results show that to date approximately 65% of all
participants in the program continue working in the companies where they did their work experience. 11
companies have participated to date.
The results have been widely highlighted by Gendarmería and the Ministry of Labor emphasizing that
there is no record of recidivism among participants and that work placement levels of the program equal
the best performing programs of the Ministry of Labor, which are not targeted at such a complex
population as with this program.
The program has a significant economic impact on the beneficiaries and their families resulting from the
work placement. The high work placement rate and prisoner motivation levels are accounted for by the
high value inmates give to this opportunity.
The success of this initiative shows that this CChC program is highly significant in terms of public policies
since it would, if extended, relieve the prison overcrowding problem. Gendarmería has calculated that
the cost of keeping one prisoner inside is US$1,000 per month. Meanwhile, the program has work habits
and values training and training costs that do not exceed 20% of that amount in monthly terms.
The program has been implemented until now in some prisons in some Chilean cities on a minor scale.
The program is applicable and expandable to a national level. The Training Corporation of the CChC has
estimated it can grow by 500 beneficiaries a year. Meanwhile, the Labor Ministry and Gendarmería
consider this to be an example of intervention that can be supported by public funding, which would
allow it to be maintained over time. This program can also be applied internationally. The evidence
shows that the social and work re-entry of inmates as well as prison overcrowding is a widespread
phenomenon in Latin America.
The Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce (CChC) considers that this initiative satisfies the
requirements for the World Chambers Competition in the area of social responsibility because it is
innovative, it is demonstrably successful; the CChC has included a range of institutions in the program
(public institutions, private non-profit institutions, and private firms);it makes an undeniable
contribution to a high profile social problem that has not been tackled by public policy; it has allowed
private companies to make a contribution to crime reduction by supporting an innovative program,
specifically by providing employment; and it has shown CChC partner companies that individuals with a
prison record can be productive and employable workers.
WORLD CHAMBERS COMPETITION APPLICATION
PROJECT NAME:
“Prisoner training and social/work re-entry”
CHAMBER:
Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce (Cámara Chilena de la
Construcción)
I. Background
One of the main challenges facing justice-related public policies in Chile is
the shortfall in prison facilities, both in terms of quality and appropriate
quantity for the existing prison population.
According to figures from Gendarmería de Chile (National Correctional Police), at
October 31, 2012 the prison population was 99,214. Of these, 48,702 are prisoners
held within the penitentiaries1. There is currently a capacity shortfall of 30%.
Despite the expected expansion in prison capacity of 16,000 by 20152, the existing
shortfall plus the projected increase in prison population leads us to conclude that
the problem will remain for the forthcoming years.
This has been recognized by the authorities, who have understood that in addition
to urgently expanding prison capacity, alternative measures are required. This has
meant reconsidering incarceration and shifting towards work and social re-entry
programs3.
The prison crisis in Chile is significant for public security reasons, since prisons are
a source of crime spread. In addition, it is also important because the prison
system does not ensure respect for the fundamental rights of prisoners.
The social re-entry of a prisoner is also the rehabilitation of a family unit, consisting
of 4 or 5 people who can break out of the poverty trap4. Therefore, given the total
1
www.gendarmeria.gob.cl
Cámara Chilena de la Construcción, Infrastructure Balance Sheet, July, 2010.
3
See Ministerio de Justicia, Cuenta Pública, May, 2011.
4
Fundación PATERNITAS.
2
1 prison population, in Chile there are 400,000 to 500,000 people connected to the
prison process socially, culturally and in family terms, who have limited prospects
for social/work re-entry and development.
Rehabilitation and re-entry of prisoners has not been considered systematically in
Chile. The vulnerability of prisoners is exacerbated by many variables that lead
them into crime, such as personal poverty and poverty in their community, limited
access to formal and technical education, absence of stable family and local
networks, living in violent and undemocratic environments, permanence of personal
and family crisis situations that border on permanent desperation, limited selfcontrol and a sense of responsibility for own situation in life, etc. All of these
situations form a negative context that validates crime and recidivism as a habit for
survival and a way of living.
The
Construction
Industry
Chamber
of
Commerce
(Cámara
Chilena
de
la
Construcción, CChC) is a trade association whose main objective is to foster the
development of the construction sector as an essential component of national
development, in the context of a social market economy based on private initiative.
Throughout its 61 years of history, the Chamber has also aimed to support the
welfare of Chileans through its Social Network (Red Social), having been a pioneer
in many national innovative programs to tackle high social and family impact
problems. One of the units of the Social Network is the Training Corporation
(Corporación de Capacitación de la Construcción), which is the organization behind
this project.
This project was designed by the Training Corporation in 2009 to foster
development and greater equality through increasing levels of private sector
participation. In this significant dimension, the CChC has undertaken an innovative
program including the private sector and has set a benchmark for future public
policies in the sector by emphasizing the importance of training and skills
development (soft and hard skills), together with the need for work experience. The
project was designed in 2009, and was implemented as a pilot program in 2010. As
a result of that experience, it was implemented in 2011 and 2012. Theproject is
described here below.
2 II. Project Description
The project promotes prisoner work and social re-entry through job training and
the acquisition of proper working habits and values, training for a trade in the
construction sector followed by direct job placement, followed by a monitoring
period and tracking the employment situation of the beneficiary
This process is carried out with the technical and social support of qualified
personnel, covering different aspects of the family, social and psychological
conditions of prisoners. They offer an integrated approach to the process. The
training stage includes the following components:
•
Training in soft skills for teamwork and “desirable work behavior”;
•
Training in alcohol and drug consumption prevention;
•
Skills training for construction work;
•
Mentoring and psychological support during training;
•
Guidance and psychological support during work experience;
•
Economic support through transport and lunch allowances totaling 3,000 pesos
per day attended (US$6);
•
Economic support through a monthly allowance of 120,000 pesos (US$240) per
month during three months (subject to 80% monthly attendance throughout
the process);
•
Work re-entry in a hired position in a construction company.
3 As shown by the figure above, the first stage of the program is the evaluation and
selection of the beneficiaries. Applicants are evaluated in this stage in terms of
fulfillment of requirements and observed potential for success. A social worker and
psychologist from the Paternitas Foundation make the selection, through the
following procedure:
•
Creation of links and development of the relationship with the prison of
origin of the beneficiary;
•
Visits and interviews with the family group of the beneficiary;
•
Psychological assessments and personal interviews with the applicant during
the selection process;
•
Guidance and support for the beneficiary during the training process;
•
Creation of links and development of relationships with companies for work
opportunities;
•
Visits and personal interviews with the beneficiary in the work environment
The requirements agreed with the correctional police are the following:
•
Men aged over 18;
•
Inmates with day release or serving on parole;
•
Exclude inmates who have been sentenced for crimes against the family and
minors (Family violence, child and sexual abuse);
•
Know how to read and write, preferably with complete primary education;
•
Presence of family support networks;
•
Absence of serious personality disorders, debilitating intellectual condition,
and without drug problems;
4 •
Capacity to overcome adversity (resilience) and genuine interest in work reentry in the construction industry.
The second stage is training and the creation of human capital. During this stage,
the beneficiaries explore the applicable labor regulations and develop soft skills in
terms of desirable work behavior and teamwork. In addition, they receive training
in the prevention of alcohol and drug consumption in the family. This training
focused on developing working habits and values is carried out by an organization
that specializes in working with prisoners, the Paternitas Foundation.
Subsequently, in the third stage, the beneficiaries are trained in a construction skill
through a learning-by-doing process in small groups. This stage is implemented
with
training
institutions
(Infocap,
Escondida
CEIM
Educational
foundation,
Universidad de Concepcion UDEC).
Once the training is completed, the CChC supports the job placement of the
program participants through its network of partner companies.
Once they have been hired, the CChC tracks the participants over time in
conjunction with the Paternitas Foundation.
5 6 III. Results and impact of the program
The results in the various stages are presented below, by year:
No. of people selected by Gendarmería
2010
2011
2012
103
160
433
61
109
240
47
98
in
(pre-selection)
No. of people selected for work habits
and values training
No. of people who register for job
training
No.
of
process
people
who
complete
the
44
87
training
No.
of
in
process
people
who
are
placed
in
44
companies
77
in
process
The participating group is chosen from the inmates selected by Gendarmería who
fulfill the requirements. The beneficiaries are inmates who receive day release in
order to participate in the program.
At the beginning of 2010, 61 inmates were selected and started the work habits
and values training stage providing them with soft skills. As can be seen, this
number grew in 2011 to 109 and in 2012 to 240 inmates. Therefore, a total of 410
beneficiaries were selected to the first part of the training process.
The number of inmates enrolled for the training program is lower than those who
started the work habits and values training, usually because the correctional police
can withdraw their permission to continue due to bad behavior or non-compliance
of rules. The percentage of people who enter the job training stage has risen from
77% in 2010 to 90% in 2011 and 2012 (even though the final figure for 2012 is not
final because we are just in the middle of this process).
Finally, practically nearly all who started the trade training process completed it and
were placed in internships in companies in 2010 and 2011 and the same
projections can be made for 2012.
7 Detailed information is available on the program participants in 2010 and 2011. The
results show that to date approximately 65% of all participants in the program
continue working in the companies where they did their work experience. 11% had
quit and 24% had been fired or terminated their contract for another reason. 11
companies have participated to date.
The above results have been widely highlighted by Gendarmería, which has
confirmed the impact observed on participants and has expressed its interest in
extending the program. Specifically, Gendarmería has indicated that it has no
record of recidivism among participants, which is a great indicator of the success of
the program.
Likewise, the high work placement levels of the program are particularly
noteworthy, equaling the best performing programs of the Ministry of Labor, which
are not targeted at such a complex population as with this program.
The program has a significant economic impact on the beneficiaries and their
families resulting from the work placement. The high work placement rate and
prisoner motivation levels are accounted for by the high value inmates give to this
opportunity.
The success of this initiative shows that this CChC program is highly significant in
terms of public policies since it would, if extended, relieve the prison overcrowding
problem, which currently has a shortfall of 34%. Gendarmería has calculated that
the cost of keeping one prisoner inside is US$1,000 per month. Meanwhile, the
program has work habits and values training and training costs that do not exceed
20% of that amount in monthly terms.
8 IV. Applicability
The program has been implemented until now in some prisons in Santiago,
Antofagasta and Concepción on a minor scale.
The program is applicable and expandable to a national level. The Training
Corporation of the CChC has estimated it can grow by 500 beneficiaries a year.
Meanwhile, the Labor Ministry and Gendarmería consider this to be an example of
intervention that can be supported by public funding, which would allow it to be
maintained over time.
Besides, we believe that this program can also be applied internationally. The
evidence shows that the social and work re-entry of inmates as well as prison
overcrowding is a widespread phenomenon in Latin America.
9 V. The reasons for applying for the award
The Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce (CChC) considers that this
initiative satisfies the requirements for the World Chambers Competition in the area
of social responsibility because:
•
It is innovative;
•
It is demonstrably successful;
•
The CChC has included a range of institutions in the program: public
institutions, private non-profit institutions, and private firms;
•
It makes an undeniable contribution to a high profile social problem that has
not been tackled by public policy;
•
It has allowed private companies to make a contribution to crime reduction
by supporting an innovative program, specifically by providing employment.
•
It has shown CChC partner companies that individuals with a prison record
can be productive and employable workers.
In addition, the CChC considers that this award could help support this initiative by
giving it an international standing and also acknowledgement within the country. It
would also trigger the interest of other business associations in Chile.
10 VI. Attachments
Supporting and additional material can be found in the web pages of the Chamber
(www.cchc.cl) and the training corporation of the Chamber (www.ccc.cl). Note: it
can be accessed directly at www.programainsercionlaboral.cl
Letters of support for the program and the award application are included from the
most significant public bodies in this area:
-Gendarmería de Chile, letter from the Deputy Director.
-Ministry of Labor, letter from the Minister.
11 Santiago, November16, 2012
Messrs.
International Chamber of Commerce
38 cours Albert 1er
75008 Paris,
France
Dear Sirs,
Gendarmería is the institution responsible for managing the correctional facility
system in Chile, safeguarding or controlling the individuals it receives from the
justice system, in order to contribute to a safer society, affording inmates a
dignified treatment as human beings, and implementing social re-entry programs to
reduce the risks of recidivism.
Chile’s prison population at present averages 99,000. Of these 47,000 are in the
traditional prison system (closed facilities) and 36,000 are sentenced individuals. It
is a priority to provide these people with the means and opportunities to change
their situation and achieve social and work re-entry when they complete their
sentences.
To tackle the challenges facing the prison system, the Chilean government has
established participative public policies that allow combining the efforts of the
public and private sectors, in order to provide inmates with better social re-entry
opportunities.
In our opinion, this social re-entry entry program for inmates implemented by the
Cámara Chilena de la Construcción is one of the most promising and innovative by
offering an integrated program, including social/work training, technical training,
psychosocial support, and including the direct participation of the private sector
both in skill-building and in providing employment prospects.
Having worked alongside the Cámara Chilena de la Construcción in this program,
we can confidently state that for the over 350 participants, this program has
provided a unique opportunity to not only obtain employment skills, but also and
most crucially for inmates to rediscover their human dignity without needing to
depend on welfare.
Therefore we would like to propose this program to your institution, firmly believing
that it fulfills all the requirements for the World Chambers Competition award.Your
award will give encouragement for the program to continue and further develop in
the future.
Yours Faithfully,
Miguelángel Jiménez Segura
Technical Assistant Director
Gendarmería de Chile
Ministry of Justice
Chile
Santiago, November 16, 2012
Messrs.
International Chamber of Commerce
38 cours Albert 1er
75008 Paris,
France
Dear Sirs,
We would hereby like to express our support and endorsement for the Cámara
Chilena de la Construcción program in the World Chambers Competition.
For the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, this program of the Cámara Chilena
de la Construcción that has supported the re-entry of over 150 inmates in Chile
since 2010 is of great significance. Firstly, because it is an example of corporate
social responsibility that we would like to see spread to firms in the rest of the
country. Secondly, because the program provides social re-entry opportunities for a
population group that rarely obtains such possibilities. This program provides
inmates with hard and soft skills, and real job placement opportunities in firms.
We are observing this pioneering program of the Cámara Chilena de la Construcción
with great interest and believe that we, as a Ministry, can learn from it and help
develop and expand it in the future.
Therefore we consider this to be an exemplary initiative and a significant example
of social innovation that is deserving of your prestigious award.
Yours Sincerely,
Evelyn Matthei
Minister of Labor and Social Security
Chile