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The training modules of MenACE are now being tested. In March in Bruges, Belgium, 16 participants went through the first staff training transnational event of the project. Trainers came from University of Beira (Portugal) and Hospice Casa Sperantei (Romania). Among the participants there were psychologists, nurses, one physician and prison staff. The training covered the three topics of mental health, palliative care and aging in prisons.
Staff from different jurisdictions used this opportunity to share their experience and concerns related to the changes in their daily tasks that demand knowledge from different curriculum as well as soft skills. The trainers were mainly seen as facilitators of the group, helping trainees discussing the topics and the: (1) prison staff training needs; (2) infrastructural and service needs; and (3) the changes in laws and regulations, that can help staff dealing better with mentally ill, terminally ill or old inmates with special needs.
Update 15th March 2017
How are the needs of the mentally disordered, old and terminally ill prisoners addressed in European prisons?
This is one of the main questions that MenACE partnership addresses under Output 1- State of the Art and Best Practices Review.
The project team started in November 2016 by reviewing the literature on mental illness, older inmates and terminally/severely ill inmates. This theoretical work led the project partners to enhance its understanding and awareness about the management of older inmates, the essential elements and specificity of an effective palliative care program in prisons, as well as the role played by depression and other common mental health disorders on inmates’ self-harm and suicide.
Considering the newness of the topic addressed by the project and in order to benefit from the potential of the partnership, a questionnaire was developed under the first intellectual output of the project, which foresees a State of the Art and Best Practices Review. This data collection instrument aims to gather approaches, lessons learned and practices in the field of mental healthcare and geriatrics in European prison services. The collected data will be further analysed, providing a richer understanding of the policies (and its practical implications) among the surveyed countries. The analysis of the data will benefit from the number of countries filling the questionnaire.
How data will be collected?
The data will be collected across the project partners, as well as other participants reached in dissemination activities and willing to participate. In each country, partners will provide statistical data as well as information about policies that determine how these populations – the older, the mentally ill and the ones who need palliative care – and their specific needs are addressed by the countries’ prison systems.
A quantitative analysis will then be performed, and descriptive statistics will be available, comparing countries’ data. Regarding policies, a qualitative analysis will be performed in order to identify main themes and approaches of countries’ policy. At the end, a report will be produced and become available online. Therefore, all countries that answer to the questionnaire can profit from the followed comparative approach and the best practices that will be identified.
Download here the questionnaire.
If you would like to contribute to the project by filling the questionnaire, please get in touch with the project coordinator Andreea Nitoiu at [email protected] no later than 2nd June 2017. Filling section E of the questionnaire is not mandatory.
Introduction
Worldwide more than 10.35 million people are currently being held in penal institutions and the global prison population rate is increasing. Mental illness is especially prevalent in prison populations, by far exceeding the rate of mental disorders in the general population. These mental health issues are exacerbated with age: over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder (WHO, 2015). As the world’s population ages rapidly, so too the number of the elderly in jails and prisons is increasing at an exponential rate: at a rate 3 times that of the general prison population.
MenACE project aims to increase the response to mental health disorders within prisons and the quality of palliative and end of life care services provided by enhancing the competences of management and frontline staff to address prisoners’ mental health needs and the special needs of older prisoners.
Mission & Objectives
Mental health, Aging and palliative care in European prisons (MenACE) Project aims to increase the response to mental health disorders within prisons and the quality of palliative and life care services provided by enhancing the competences of management and frontline staff to address prisoners’ mental health needs and the special needs of older prisoners. Specific goals include:
Results
In detail, the expected results are an enhanced prison human capital skilled to cope with emerging and challenging issues in prison healthcare, namely:
Project Duration: November 2016 –November 2018
Lead Partner: HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, Romania
Project Partners: HELSE BERRGEN HF* HAUKELAND UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, Norway; ADMINISTRATIA NATIONALA A PENITENCIARELOR, Romania; European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris), Netherlands; QUALIFY JUST – IT SOLUTIONS AND CONSULTING LDA, Portugal; DE FEDERALE OVERHEIDSDIENST JUSTITIE – LE SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL JUSTICE, Belgium; Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal; Direção-Geral de Reinserção Social e Serviços Prisionais, Portugal
Project Website: www.menace-project.org