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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: In April 2015, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) introduced a dedicated Throughcare Service, with 42 Throughcare Support Officers (TSOs) in 11 prisons. Throughcare involves taking a coordinated approach to the provision of support to people who serve short-term prison sentences (less than four years), from their imprisonment, throughout their sentence, and during their transition back to the community and initial settling-in period. The Throughcare Service had to be suspended in September 2019 due to population pressures and staff shortages, but SPS is now reviewing this position and wishes to learn from international best practice.
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Yes, mainly for inmates under parole.
If so, what model of Throughcare is in place within your EstablishmentsAfter accessing to this phase, the system consists on periodically controls and visits to the inmate.
Which prisoners are eligible for Throughcare support?The ones who fulfill the legal requirements and accept the conditions imposed by the judge.
Do any of your Officers carry out any elements of the Throughcare support in the community (or does their role end at the point of liberation)?They carry out the community support.
Do you have any Officers seconded to Throughcare support services in the community?Yes.
How long is Throughcare support in place for those liberated?Till the end of the parole.
What is the preparation for release?Mainly, it is based on the observation and accompany of the inmates during the parole periode.
Do Throughcare support services come into to prison in advance of liberation to engageYes, throughcare services and prison services blong to the same administrative body and are in contact.
No, we do not have such service.
If so, what model of Throughcare is in place within your Establishments-
Which prisoners are eligible for Throughcare support?-
Do any of your Officers carry out any elements of the Throughcare support in the community (or does their role end at the point of liberation)?The support to inmates is ensured only until the time of their release, though this includes the intermediation of contacts with post-penitentiary bodies if the inmate needs it. In case the inmate after his release from the prison sentence is transferred to other facility providing social care, the prison cooperates and coordinates his transferring to further care with this facility before his release. Yet, the post-penitentiary care is secured by other bodies.
Do you have any Officers seconded to Throughcare support services in the community?No.
How long is Throughcare support in place for those liberated?-
What is the preparation for release?The preparation for release is performed from the admission of the convict to the prison. However, the aimed and intensive preparation based on his individual needs starts at minimum two months before the release. The preparation for release of convicts which have served the prison term more than three years can be carried out in specialised exit units that are established in 10 prisons. Convicts are placed to these units in a due time before expected end of the prison term in order to help them in creating favourable conditions for independent way of living by elaborating so called an individual action plan of social inclusion to civil life according to their needs and risks. Convicts in this unit undergo specialised resocialisation and edifying education programs but they are also included to work. The support of the convict may be also in the form of a visit of the convict together with a member of the prison staff (social worker) of places, such as bus station, railway station, family, venue of the probation and mediation officer or social services facility, etc., so the convict would be sufficiently prepared for his first steps after being released.
Do Throughcare support services come into to prison in advance of liberation to engage-
Yes.
If so, what model of Throughcare is in place within your EstablishmentsThe literal translation of the Swedish term for Throughcare is “in-sluicing”, the process that, going through gates and locks, helps the client moving from on position to another. The In-sluicing model: 1 Assess needs The first step in In-sluicing is to assess the client's needs. All inmates in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service undergo a structured risk and needs assessment and often need support outside the Swedish Prison and Probation Service for which other parties, such as the social services, are responsible. When a client in prison needs interventions that need to be coordinated, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service asks the client for consent in order to be able to contact other actors. 2 Schedule the release The actors involved need to plan the release jointly. This is done through one or more digital meetings. It is the Swedish Prison and Probation Service's probation officer who contacts the other parties and coordinates the planning, both when the client is in an institution and after release, when he/she is under supervision (usually for 12 months). When the various collaborating actors meet the client at the first digital integration meeting, the client receives information about the type of help that may be relevant. Together, they also discuss whether the client needs to provide any special information or how he/she can apply for support if needed. During the meeting, everyone clarifies their different roles so that it becomes clear who is doing what. The planning becomes an agreement that must be followed after the client's release. When the client is released, he/she receives a schedule that clearly describes what the client should do and when. 3 Implement / follow up The administrator in probation is responsible for following up that the various initiatives are implemented and how they go. If the client does not do his part in the planning, it is the probation service's responsibility to investigate the negligence and issue warnings or various types of control measures if necessary. 4 Finish When the client's monitoring period has ended, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service ends the contact with the client but ensures that the efforts continue if the client still needs them.
Which prisoners are eligible for Throughcare support?Clients who are to be released on parole and placed under supervision. If the client needs coordination and agrees to contact external actors, the In-sluicing process begins.
Do any of your Officers carry out any elements of the Throughcare support in the community (or does their role end at the point of liberation)?The Probation Service (the responsible probation inspector) regularly monitors how the client is doing during the monitoring period and handles any negligence on the part of the client. Prior to the end of the supervision, the probation service ensures that the client's efforts continue if necessary and that there are named contact persons for the client.
Do you have any Officers seconded to Throughcare support services in the community?The probation coordinator who works with In-sluicing is located at one of our probation offices
How long is Throughcare support in place for those liberated?During the entire monitoring period, i.e. the remaining probationary period, which corresponds to the sentence remaining at the time of release, however, at least three hundred and sixty-five days.
What is the preparation for release?The probation coordinator contacts external partners and invites them to a first joint digital meeting with the client. Possible efforts/activities that may become relevant after the release are discussed and a plan is made. The client must have a schedule for the first time in freedom, which can mean a number of booked meeting with the different actors and other planned activities.
Do Throughcare support services come into to prison in advance of liberation to engagePlease see above.
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Yes
If so, what model of Throughcare is in place within your EstablishmentsThe throughcare model was launched on 1 January 2021. Intensive preparation for release shall begin in prison a year before conditional release or sentence term expiration. In the first phase, a social worker organizes the implementation of social reintegration measures, e. g., finding a place to live, employment (work or education), social assistance, etc. A social worker shall keep the contact with the municipality an inmate is returning to, NGO, and other public or municipal institutions which may provide support to an inmate. Six months before an inmate’s release the municipality administration shall be notified about the release. Upon receiving notification of an inmate’s release, the municipal administration appoints a social worker, and so the second phase of the social reintegration begins. A prison social worker and municipal social worker (or NGO representative) shall closely cooperate. A social worker from a municipality (or NGO representative) shall coordinate the provision of social services, financial-social assistance and other services for which a need has been identified. When a person is conditionally released and falls under probation supervision a prison social worker shall cooperate with an assigned probation officer. Social reintegration of released persons involves the continuous, coherent, coordinated implementation of social reintegration measures after the release, providing a released person with social services tailored to his/her social needs (the second phase of social reintegration).
Which prisoners are eligible for Throughcare support?Inmates serving a fixed-term sentence who have one year of sentence left before potential conditional release and ex-offenders within one year after release.
Do any of your Officers carry out any elements of the Throughcare support in the community (or does their role end at the point of liberation)?A correctional officer’s job is over the moment an inmate is released, unless he/she is under conditional release and falls under probation supervision.
Do you have any Officers seconded to Throughcare support services in the community?No
How long is Throughcare support in place for those liberated?No time limit established
What is the preparation for release?See q. 2
Do Throughcare support services come into to prison in advance of liberation to engageSee q. 2
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The detention facilities system of the Republic of Latvia does not have a full function of providing support (a model for providing support) to prisoners after release from the prison. Nor do prison officials/employees take support measures in society.
If so, what model of Throughcare is in place within your EstablishmentsIn preparing prisoners for release, Prison Administration take the measures specified in regulatory enactments, as well as measures that are not regulated, the role of these measures greatly reduces the risk of committing a repeated criminal offences. Also measures are being taken in according to the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to Rec (2006) 2 Member States on European prison rules. Officials/employees of Resocialization Department in Prisons shall prepare the prisoners for the release in cooperation with other prison units. The prisoners shall be prepared for release from the moment the person has been admitted to custody
Which prisoners are eligible for Throughcare support?Every prisoner is prepared for release.
Do any of your Officers carry out any elements of the Throughcare support in the community (or does their role end at the point of liberation)?The role of prison officials/employees ends at the time of release, providing the prisoners with information regarding the possibility of receiving aid and assistance in State, local government institutions and non-governmental organizations, taking the measures specified in regulatory enactments.
Do you have any Officers seconded to Throughcare support services in the community?The Officers are not seconded to Throughcare support services in the community, but there are other measures like European Social Fund projects that is implementing wide variety of activities, supporting prisoners after being released from prison, and providing support to the families of prisoners. European Social Fund project “Integration of former prisoners into society and the labor market” No 9.1.2.0/16/I/001 implements the following actions and sub-actions: 1. Integrated training and skills development measures for prisoners. 2. Measures for career planning of prisoners: individual or/and group career counselling for prisoners in seven prison places prior to release in connection with job search. 4. Implementation of new aid methods for former prisoners. 5. Volunteer work with prisoners in detention facilities and former prisoners in the community. 6. Support measures for the families of former prisoners. 7. Measures to maintain positive social links between prisoners and prisoners' families or relatives.
How long is Throughcare support in place for those liberated?N/A
What is the preparation for release?For each sentenced person the risks and needs of a repeat offence are identified with an instrument for risk and needs assessment. In accordance with the risks and needs identified, convicted persons shall be involved in the resocialization process during the execution of the sentence. Resocialization of convicts in prisons is a set of measures, namely education, social employment, tackling social problems, taking into account the consequences of imprisonment (improving the social skills of the convicted person, restoring and providing learning, providing information on the possibilities of social services and social assistance after being released from the deprivation of liberty institution). The involvement of convicted persons in the resocialization process is carried out with the aim of changing the way in which a person has committed a criminal offence, obtaining an education and profession in prison, and being able to integrate into society and live a legally and fully fledged life when leaving the place of imprisonment. Similarly, officials/employees of the Resocialization Department of Prisons shall investigate the social situation of prisoners and shall cooperate with the social services of local governments in matters related to the provision of the necessary social assistance and social services to a person after his or her release from the prison, as well as with other institutions, depending on the matter to be addressed.
Do Throughcare support services come into to prison in advance of liberation to engageThe following institutions, associates, non-governmental organizations arrive at the prison before the release phase: State Probation Service - a work is performed with inmates who have the possibility to be released on the parol; Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs – to help with personal identification documents; Associations and Non-governmental Organizations – to develop cooperation with inmates who need support and assistance after their release from the prison.
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