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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:
No. In a few prisons we have small units in which prisoners live who have permission of the court to leave the prison during the day for e.g. work, training or therapy. These small units are not the same thing as a halfway house.
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Not applicable.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Not applicable.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Not applicable.
Special Remarks or CommentsNo, we have not established halfway houses
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Not aplicable.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Not aplicable.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Not aplicable.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Not aplicable.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Not aplicable.
Special Remarks or CommentsThe first halfway houses were established in the 1970’ties
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Re-entry via halfway houses often contributes to a better release.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?In the beginning the residents in the community can be very sceptic. But our experience is, that the skepticism in the community passes and turns to a far more favorable attitude as the knowledge of the halfway houses increases.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Fx via open house arrangements, meetings in the community – for instance local arrangements where the local residents are invited.
What community groups were against halfway houses?The local residents have had concerns on fx whether the clients could cause problems in the community, but the concerns usually passes as the knowledge of the halfway houses increases.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Greatest possible openness, information and ongoing cooperation with the community. See also question 3.
Special Remarks or CommentsNo we have not establihed half way houses. We have three releasing units, which are kind of open prisons. As an alternative there is a possibility to enforce a part of the sentence in municipal or private sector treatment institutions. We help offenders to integrate into the society by using probationary liberty under supervision before conditional release, too. The offender lives at home with gps tracking phone and electronic ankle tag. He has a daily time table based on which he can go outside to work, study or do something else.
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?We do not have half way houses. Probationary liberty under supervision provides a genuine way of gradual release.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses? How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community? What community groups were against halfway houses? In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public? Special Remarks or CommentsThere are no halfway houses in Latvia, according to definition below. Partly to definition corresponds an open prison in Latvia (one prison and one prison’s unit) where inmates live in dorm type premises. In this prison/unit are no outer fence with guard, but inmates are under monitoring and according to resocialization plan are ensured with resocialization measures including acquire of education and work outside prison territory. With prison’s director permission inmates can live in personnel houses or flats together with family within city’s territory where prison/unit is located. Inmates cannot leave this territory without permission and avoid registration at prison’s supervision unit. (It means that there is possibility to integrate into community.) Inmate in this prison/unit who have not been disciplinary or administrative penalized within last 30 days, with prison’s director permission can leave prison’s territory one time per month, but no longer than two diurnals, on public holidays no longer than five diurnals. However progressive penalty system does not anticipate that inmate prior to release from prison should obligatory spend certain period of time in open prison.
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Not applicable.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Not applicable.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Not applicable.
Special Remarks or CommentsNo
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Not applicable.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Not applicable.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Not applicable.
Special Remarks or CommentsThis content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
In Scotland there are Community Integration Units (CIUs) at Cornton Vale, Inverness and previously Aberdeen; and “Top End” facilities (for long term prisoners nearing the completion of their sentences) at Polmont, Barlinnie, Greenock and the Open Estate (Castle Huntly). A new prison, HMP and YOI Grampian, opens March 2014 which will have CIUs and “community facing” services. CIUs at HMP Inverness and HM Prison Aberdeen (now closed) opened in June 2012 and are located within the perimeter of the prison with a capacity for 6 and 8 Low Supervision female prisoners respectively. The purpose of the CIUs is to provide local community facing facilities which will assist low supervision female prisoners in the transition from prison to liberation through community based interventions, supportive health care, outside work placements and appropriate educational opportunities. Barlinnie has a Unit for 64 Life Sentence prisoners which opened in 2012. Up to 30 per day work in the community and return each night. HMYOI Polmont has Top End facilities which allow Young Offenders, who have been approved by the Risk Management Team, to access the community. The Top End facility is located within the secure perimeter of the establishment. The National Top End at HMP Greenock has been in place since October 1993, initially in B Hall. A purpose built facility, Chrisswell House, was opened in 1996 and is the longest established Top End in SPS. The Independent Living Units (ILUs) at Cornton Vale were opened in 2002 with two houses outside the perimeter fence holding 8 women. By the mid-2000s, six houses were in operation holding 24 women. The ILUs play an integral role in helping the women to gradually re-integrate into the community and also to build family bonds through the home leave scheme.
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?SPS believes that a system which provides progression offers offenders a positive goal to aim for and helps not only to maintain good order, but also encourages the individual to develop strengths and assets. Giving prisoners a positive aim helps to build confidence and social skills and is consistent with SPS’s support of desistance practice. Concentration on release and resettlement is designed to reduce the effects of institutionalisation by according the prisoner trust and requiring the exercise of personal responsibility. Gradual controlled reintegration tests the prisoner’s capability for independent living and aims to consolidate relevant social and life skills. The remit of the Top End is to provide a structured testing environment for life sentence and very long term prisoners. A positive indicator in relation to the criminal justice system is the number of offenders recalled to custody following release on life licence, which to take the figure for HMP Greenock is currently around 12%.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Community agencies can be, and have been, cautious about purpose and intentions, but proactive public relations and a positive collaborative spirit to the community initiatives have helped smooth progress. In the case of HMYOI Polmont, there is a long history of Young Offenders accessing the community and there has been no negative reaction to the promotion of such opportunities. Similarly, there has been no adverse community reaction to Top End at Greenock. The prison is well established and has enjoyed positive relationships with the community over a long period of time, to the extent that local businesses have offered work placement opportunities to prisoners for over twenty years and continue to do so.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?The concept of CIUs and Top Ends fits with the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes for criminal justice. They are viewed as a positive asset which benefits the prisoner, their families, the community and Scotland generally. Historically, local communities have benefited directly by offenders doing work in the local area. A considerable amount promotional work has been carried out by prison staff to communicate and assure the public affected by CIU initiatives. Emphasis has been placed on reintegration, reparation, community involvement and the promotion of succesful outcomes on eventual release. For instance in HMP Aberdeen, this has involved holding focus groups in the prison; inviting key partners to help formulate the regime; and engaging local group involvement in the successful operation of the day to day business. Participation and communication are essential. It has also been important to present the positive aspects of Top Ends to the community. This has been done by positive relationships with partner agencies, local authorities and importantly, the media.
What community groups were against halfway houses?In most of the establishments there was little, if any, public reaction against initiatives. Given the long history of how of community involvement in HMYOI Polmont, there has been no negative reaction to offenders having access to the community. In Greenock there have been no groups resistant to the establishment of a Top End. There are regular Freedom of Information requests made in relation to the purpose of Top End; but community reaction has been extremely positive. However, at HMP Barlinnie, immediate neighbours to the prison, the two local schools and a nearby Old Persons Home raised objections, concerns which were not unexpected and which were addressed.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Prison staff at each of the establishments have adopted very similar techniques to convey a positive message by meeting local community groups and presenting how a progression system affects the local community, allows offenders to be tested and keeps the country safer. It is vital that the public are involved and informed about any initiatives that will have an impact on the community. It is good practice to promote the prison as a community partner which would wish to be involved in positive initiatives that are of benefit to the whole community. There is a wealth of knowledge and experiences from both staff and prisoners that can be utilised for the benefit of the local communities and this is encouraged. Experience has shown that it is best to meet with small local interest groups to get the message across and allow the public to ask questions. It is essential to be open and approachable. Most establishments have also sought positive media engagement through local news items; assisting with charity events; delivering presentations to any interested group; and encouraging on-going involvement of ex-offenders – who can take key messages back to the community. Evidencing the success of the CIUs can also be promoted through the publication of relevant statistics and independent research evaluations.
Special Remarks or CommentsRelevant research reports on CIUs, ILUs and the Open Estate available from SPS on request
If we look at definition in Slovenia we have different way of possibility to begin the process of reintegration with society. We have not halfway houses, we have half open and open dislocated departments of prisons where prisoners have more open regime of sentence. Enforcement of criminal sanctions act defines prisons with strict regimes of serving a sentence of imprisonment as closed type, whilst prisons with more liberal regimes shall be of a semi-open or open type, and shall be distinguished by the degree of security and restriction on the freedom of movement of convicts. Also there are some manner of enforcement of a prison sentence ( in prison in different regimes, vikend prison, house arrest, community service).
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Not applicable.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?Not applicable.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Not applicable.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?Not applicable.
Special Remarks or CommentsNot applicable.
Yes, since 1996, under the name of Dependent Units
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?Yes. They facilitate intervention and treatment programmes, in particular those with a more therapeutic aspect, that are focused on modifying the part of the personality that is related more directly to criminal activity.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?As they are ordinary homes inside the Community setting, without any sign of external distinction, it has been sought that their location does not generate opposition from the neighbourhood.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?As a positive social reintegration factor for people who are not dangerous.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Ususlly, those from the nearest neighbourhood
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?For this task to be carried out by NGOs or associations involved on working with the neighbours of the specific neighbourhood.
Special Remarks or CommentsSwedish justice system has several ways of releasing prisoners before the end of the sentence. * Treatment clinics * Working outside the prison during daytime * Half way house * Electronic monitoring We have halfway houses in the three largest cities since 2007 and we also have an option to place single prisoners in private halfway houses in several other cities in Sweden.
Have you noticed positive changes in the penitentiary system of your country after establishment of halfway houses?The goal för the Swedish Prison and Probation Service is that all prisoners without risk of misconduct or deportation abroad after their release are supposed to recieve some kind of treatment or training in daily life living at the end of the sentence. We think this goal is important for the prisoner to get a better start in life after prison and make it worth for him or her to behave during the stay in the prison.
What was the community’s reaction to the establishment of halfway houses?Mostly the community`s reaction to the establishment of a halfway house is negative. The people in the Neighborhood don`t want to have prisoners new neighbors and they are worried, suspicious and afraid.
How did you present the benefits of halfway houses to the community?It is important to give information and to be honest about what is coming and invite the neighbors to visit the halfway house before start. It is also important not to do this to early before start and to be prepared that the neighbors will be critical. It is also important to be prepared with information and answers to all possible questions.
What community groups were against halfway houses?Most negative are mothers to small children and their biggest concern is sex offenders.
In your experience, what are the best ways to bring the project to public?It is importnt to point out that these prisoners are individuals that have served their sentences and have the right to get a fair chanse to reintegrate in society. It is never too late to get a better life and if they don`t get that chance there is an increased risk of relapse in crime. It is also important to stress that these are prisoners with a low risk of reoffending and the statistics for misconduct are very low.
Special Remarks or Comments