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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: Latvian Prison Administration is currently implementing Norwegian Financial Instrument 2014–2021 period programme "Correctional Services" pre-defined project "Establishment of Training centre infrastructure and model prison blocks for training opportunities in the Olaine prison territory" No. 1-6.4/2-2019 (hereinafter – Project). Within the framework of the Project, a working group have been established with the task of developing a Mentoring system. Because of this, Latvian Prison Administration is currently investigating best foreign practice and would like to collect information about how Prison Staff Education is organized in other countries.
Correctional Studies – Full-time study over two years giving 120 credits and leading to the professional title of Prison Officer. Supplementary course (60 credits) Two-year part-time study culminating in a bachelor’s degree in correctional studies
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?College level
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)Yes, the education concist of 4 semester where 2 of the semester take place in one of our training prison with a combination of theoretical and practical traineeship.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?Each training prison has a student leader employed by the prison and is a part of the prison's management team. The student leader leading a group of student mentors who have up to 6 students whom they follow up during the training. The mentors are selected from the ordinary prison officers at the prison and they undergo a course in being a mentor held by the University College.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?They are staff members of the prison where the traineeship are.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?The mentors are selected among the ordinary prison officers at the prison and they undergo a course in being a mentor held by the University College.
In Switzerland, the training programmes are offered at the federal level for almost all the categories of custodial staff. These programmes are initiated and regularly updated by highly qualified and proficient professionals in collaboration with academics. As part of the national educational system, the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP) is the officially recognized institution that offers specific and vocational training for staff who are performing duties across all 26 Swiss cantons.
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?The SCEPP offers the full range of vocational training, which leads to the graduate certifications of the students. a. The Basic Training allows staff of custodial institutions to take the professional exam in order to obtain the qualification of ‘Detention Officer’. After having completed a two-year training, students are required to take the final exam and obtain the Federal Diploma of Higher Education. b. The Executive Training is designed for middle- and high-level executives employed by the custodial institutions across Switzerland who intend to take the advanced professional exam of ‘Expert in management of custodial institutions’, which is an Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)In Switzerland, custodial staff (specifically, detention officers) are employed by the cantons and perform their duties inside custodial institutions according to the cantonal legal provisions. Before starting Basic or Advanced Training, staff must have relevant professional experience. Prior to the basic training, some cantons offer the in-house initial training. Some other cantons improve professional skills of their officers under continuous vocational training and specialised programmes after these professionals got the Federal Diploma of Higher Education.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?As part of the basic training, custodial institutions assign in-house coaches. These experts have various work experience and belong to different levels in the institutional hierarchies. They accompany on-site their trainees during the Basic Training. There is no unique standard nor the criteria applicable on all categories of mentorship. It depends widely on the specific need for each category of trainees.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?All coaches/mentors are full members of the staff employed by the custodial institutions where they perform their professional duties and in which students of the Basic Training work as well.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?As a rule, the practice coaches/mentors take a one-day course at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP). Thereafter, they might use an exchange platform to help them fulfil their role. However, currently, there is no certification training.
Yes
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?Professional development
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)Yes, it is trained in a specific traineeship practice prison.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?No. skills, attitude and knowledge. Same level as the student, but at least 1 year experience.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?A staff member of the specific imprisonment place.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?They receive a 3 day training.
Yes, The Danish Prison and Probation Service have a training center with two departments, located in two different parts of the country.
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?The training of Danish prison officers is on professional development level.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)The students are employed and trained in the prison, where they will be working after his/her studies. The education alternates between theory and workshops in the training center and practice/traineeship in the prisons
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?Every student is assigned to a traineeship manager, who is responsible for the training of 5 – 10 student prison officers. Traineeship managers are chosen among the fully trained prison officers and should be an experienced officer on general level.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?The traineeship manager is a staff member of the specific imprisonment staff.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?The traineeship managers are educated and certified for the role. The education has a duration of one week and is combined with on-the-job training.
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Yes, the Slovak Prison Service has its own Education Centre based in Nitra.
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?The Education Centre is not part of the formal education system subordinated under the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. From this reason, it only provides education solely to prison staff. In addition to the basic training that each prison officer shall undergo after admission to the state service, it also provides other forms of specialized training and education activities and courses in the course of service, as professional development.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)As part of the adaptation process to the conditions of the state service, each newly-hired prison officer shall undergo during first months of the service additionally to basic theoretical training also a special internship in particular sections of prison service activities. This internship shall the prison officer undergo in his/her “home” prison. Its organisation is not in the competence of the Education Centre.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?The Deputy Prison Governor in each prison is responsible for organizing the preparation of the prison officers within the adaptation process. For preparation of particular newle-hired prison officer is responsible his/her direct superior, or alternatively other specialised and experienced prison officer from this prison.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?Please, see the answer to question No. 3 and 4.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?No specialised courses or certificates are required from prison officers working as “mentors“.
Yes, the Basic training for prison officers is organized at the training institute of prison and probation services. The Basic training takes 16 months.
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?The education is at professionla level 4 in national and European qualification framework. The extend of the studies is 90 credits.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)The studies include 9 months traineeship (interships) divided to 2 and 7 months periods. The practice is organized in prisons and probation units. After the graduation a student can apply for prison officers post in any prison.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?Every student has a assigned mentor during the internships. The mentors have a compulsary specific pedagogical training before starting act as a mentor for the trainees.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?The mentors are members of the prison staff. They work in collaboration with teacher staff of the training institute.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?See above.
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The institution responsible for the training and education of the staff who work in the prison system, as well as the rest of the staff working at the Department of Justice, is the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training (CEJFE), which is an autonomous administrative body attached to the Department of Justice of the Government of Catalonia. The CEJFE is therefore the appointed institution for the education and training for the prison staff as well as for the staff working in Probation, Juvenile Justice, Victim Support, Restorative Justice and the Forensics Assessment Team. Within the CEJFE, there is on the one hand the Criminal Enforcement Initial Training Unit, which takes care of the training linked to the selection processes of the new staff recruited as well as the staff education linked to the innovative projects that are being newly implemented in the Justice Department related to criminal enforcement. On the other hand, the Criminal Enforcement Specialised Training Unit, which is in charge of the in-depth training addressed to the staff who are already working in the criminal enforcement public agencies (Prison, Probation, Juvenile Justice, Victim Support, Restorative Justice and the Forensics Assessment Team).
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?The level of education provided by the CEJFE is not comparable to any formal or academic education level delivered within the standard curricula by the Department of Education. When the training organised by the CEJFE is open to anyone working in the criminal Justice enforcement area, in this case the training certificate will not formally qualify as a merit when the member of the staff applies for a new position. When the training is linked to a staff selection process, it can only be attended by the staff that have been part of the selection process.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)Some training programmes include an traineeship. The time devoted to the traineeship varies depending on the specific training programme. The traineeships are organised in services and job posts comparable to those the job post the member of the staff is meant to do. In some instances, the traineeships may take place in the very working place where the already trained (senior) members of the staff are working.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?For the training programmes delivered in the framework of selection processes of staff, the professional that has been selected and undergone such training is assigned a traineeship manager/mentor. These professionals appointed as managers/mentors of the trainees, are usually senior officials but can also be other staff members as long as they have a long working experience and the specific training to act as mentors. The manager/mentor has received a specialised training for such purpose which includes different aspects of this traineeship manager/mentor role and especially on how to assess the trainee. On a different note, university students who undergo an internship during the last year of their degree in units or services of the Ministry of Justice, are also assigned a mentor. In this case the mentor will be a member of the staff with long experience relevant to the traineeship, who voluntarily wishes to act as mentor for university students.
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?The manger/mentor will be a staff member of a unit, prison or service comparable to the location where the trainee would eventually work.
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?The manager/mentor has received a specialised training for such purpose which includes different aspects of this traineeship manager/mentor role and especially on how to assess the trainee. When it come to mentors of university internships, although they don’t receive a formal training to perform their task, they are thoroughly informed on the standards and the key issues to take into account in their task as mentors.
Yes this is correct.
What level of education does this educational institution provide (professional development, college or higher education level)?Learning & Development deliver a Level 3 Diploma in the Management and Care of Individuals in the Custodial Environment and a Level 3 Custody and Detention Apprenticeship.
Are traineeship opportunities provided for students attending this educational institution? (If yes, is traineeship organised in the prison where the student will be working after his/her studies or in a specific traineeship practice prison?)No, this is not something that is offered.
Is traineeship manager/mentor assigned to each student undergoing traineeship?What criteria is taken into consideration when choosing traineeship manger/mentor, and what level staff members are chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors?Learning & Development are currently recruiting for Apprenticeship Coaches who will mentor all newly recruit Prison Officers once they return to their establishment during their training period to help them successfully pass the Apprenticeship qualification. This recruitment campaign will be open to all staff within HMPPS and they will be recruited under fair and open conditions. Candidates applying must have been accredited as a Prison Officer by successfully completing Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT).
Is traineeship manger/mentor a staff member of the prison educational institution or a staff member of the specific imprisonment place?Yes, staff members of HMPPS
Are the persons chosen as traineeship mangers/mentors specifically educated (trained) and certified for this role?Yes this is correct