Resocialisation programmes

The goal of resocialization programmes is a social integration of persons who have committed a crime or a serious violation of social norms. Its particular aim is to minimise the risk of recidivism - recurrent conflict with social norms.

What are the specific targets of resocialisation programmes?

• improvement of social and legal as well as communicational competences, self sufficiency, self knowledge, motivation towards a change of attitude in the perpetrator,
  
• acceptance of responsibility for the crime committed, meaning: gaining an objective view of their behaviour, realising the consequences of their actions and the impact it had on the victims and other persons or subjects affected by such actions;
  
• strengthening links with a non-risk social environment,
  
• reducing debt and the risk of falling into debt (e.g. by adhering to the instalment calendar, bankruptcy approval, reducing the debt or stopping it from increasing, consolidation of distraint orders, reducing recovery costs, stopping unjustified distraints, nullifying arbitration clauses, etc.);
  
• reducing dropouts and the risk of dropping out of the employment market (by finding or keeping a job, finding short term work, attending a requalification course, involvement in community work, resuming education, or continuing in current educational institution, etc.);
  
• successful discharge of an alternative punishment/disciplinary measure by a perpetrator.
  

What happens in a resocialisation programme?

Structure of the social training programme for adult clients is divided into 3 phases (anamnesis, focus, evaluation) over the course of 15 sessions lasting at least 2 hours. The total duration of the programme is at least 30 hours.

Structure of the social training programme for clients under the age of majority is divided into 14 sessions of at least 2 ½ hours long. The total duration of the programme is at least 35 hours.

A client has successfully completed the programme if he/she has attended for the minimum duration of the programme and created his/her individual plan. A client can continue in the programme voluntarily and work in cooperation to solve any problematic situations that came to light during the program.

The goals of the programmes themselves are not to solve all of a client’s problems, but to concentrate on identifying his/her key problems and needs to subsequently help him/her solve these problems. We concentrate on prevention by offering practical help in essential areas of life (debts, finance, work, housing, aspects of criminal law, mental health). Without this essential help, other intervention in the form of social training would not be effective and lasting.

Examples of situations in which our activation workers help:

• accompanying clients in court,
  
• help with writing applications for parole,
  
• help with the administrative steps in connection with reporting to serve a prison sentence, or with making police statements,
  
• preventive work with clients,
  
• explanation of legal terms,
  
• help in dealing with other authorities and subjects concerned with the case,
  
• debt,
  
• complicated life situations in connection with serving a prison sentence,
  
• implementation of the resocialisation (social) training programme.