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Croatia has 14 prisons, 7 penitentiaries, 2 juvenile correctional institutions, a Training Centre, and a Diagnostic Centre, with approximately 2,600 employees and around 5,000 incarcerated individuals.
Employees within the prison system in Croatia are regularly exposed to highly stressful and potentially traumatic situations. These experiences can significantly impact their mental health, job satisfaction, and long-term wellbeing. Recognising the need to support frontline staff, the Croatian Prison Administration established a Department for Psychological Support to Prison and Probation Officers.
The Department is exclusively focused on providing psychological support and crisis intervention to employees following critical incidents. A comprehensive support system has been implemented with the following core mechanisms: Self-initiated support: Employees can independently contact the Department for assistance; Supervisor suggestion: Supervisors are trained to recognise signs of psychological strain and encouraged to guide staff toward support services; Proactive deployment: The Department monitors events and, when necessary, send a Psychological Crisis Intervention Team to provide field support.
This system ensures timely psychological care, reduces the stigma around seeking help, and contributes to a safer, healthier work environment.
Improved employee access to mental health services.
Faster recovery and reintegration after critical incidents.
Increased awareness among managers of psychological risk factors.
Strengthened resilience within prison and probation teams.
The effectiveness of the initiative relies on close cooperation between the Department for Psychological Support and all levels of prison staff. A culture of trust and openness is promoted, where staff feel safe to seek help and supervisors are encouraged to recognise and respond to signs of psychological strain. Regular field visits by Department staff ensure direct communication with frontline officers, reduce stigma around mental health, provide on-site education, and offer proactive support.