Constanta22.04.2010

R O M A N I A

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF PRISONS

- 31 prisons

- 6 hospital prisons

- 3 Re-education centres

- 3 prisons for minors and young people

- one prison for women

- 3 training units

Classifying inmates by age :

- Inhabitants of RO: 21.5 millions;- Inhabitants of RO: 21.5 millions;- convicts: aprox. 27.6 thousand.- convicts: aprox. 27.6 thousand.

The total number of inmates: 27.618

24958

4634011796

minors teens adults olds

Human resources for educational activities(there are two categories of personnel who implement plans of

executioner prison sentences)

Internal personnel – National Administration of Prisons

Educator officers Psychologist officersSocial worker officersSport monitors The main activities:

Educative activities Sport activities Activities in community Therapeutic activities Social assistance activities Psychological intervention

activities

Externalize personnel (civil servants) – Ministry of Education

Schoolteachers in 6 unitsExperts in psycho-

pedagogy Professional trainers

The main activities: School training Professional training

Directorate for Social ReinsertionThe individualized punishment execution regime and the

particularized approach of the psycho-social intervention are achieved by:

Psycho-social intervention activities: Psychological evaluations Social evaluations Action with priority upon needs who was identified (the

priority needs to be resolved) Psychological and social counseling Psychological and social assistance programs

Educational activities: Educational needs evaluations Educational programs Informative educational activities Sport activities Activities in community Coordinating formal learning and

professional activities

THE VISION OF NATIONAL SOCIAL REINTEGRATION STRATEGY 2009-2013

Creating an organizational subunit designed to carry on analyses, syntheses, studies and interpretation;

Elaborating and implementing an unitary system of

assessment and intervention; Drawing up and promoting a national strategy aimed at

prisoners’ social re-entry;

Developing partnership with non-governmental organizations and local communities, which will result in facilitating inmates’ social rehabilitation;

Creating a partnership between the Romanian prison service and the EU prison structures, facilitating the exchange of good practices and the development of a joint regulatory framework in the European penal system.

Formal learning activity

2594

27402981

2400

2500

2600

2700

2800

2900

3000

detainees

Detainees and their formal learning activity- comparative diagramm 2006/2007, 2007/2008,

2008/2009

2006/2007

2007/2008

2008/2009

Professional training activity

2260

2806

2535

219154

131

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

men women

training activity

2006

2007

2008

Participation at recreational sports activities

50769

43002

50599

38000

40000

42000

44000

46000

48000

50000

52000

number of participants

2006

2007

2008

…If we do all this activities, if the teachers do their job at European standards, than…what about RELAPSING?

Where is the mistake? What do we know about relation between prison &

relapsing?

(because in RO, about half of offenders - 12.488 from 27.673 = 45,11% - are going to the second and so on…offence!)

Theories about prisonsPrison as “punishment”

Prison as “school of crime”

Prison as “minimalist effect”

Prison as punishment

Prison don’t reduce the recidivism, but, on the contrary, most of the studies, has identified a strong correlation between the time which is spending in prison and relapsing

It is possible that the offenders with low risks at relapsing to suffer living prison’s experiences (they will proceed easier to second offence & the rate of relapsing become higher if they weren’t punished)

Prison as “school of crime”

Imprisonment – “the assimilation of the criminal ideology from penitentiary culture”

Relapse offenders exert a formative pro-delinquencies influence upon “new-entry” delinquents

Imprisonment is reducing re-integration chances (passive behavior, apathy, despair, rage, depression, depersonalization, etc).

Coerced adaptation at prison life- deep and long effects upon man’s self-concept

Pains of imprisonment

Prison as “minimalist effect”

“deep freeze” – the adaptation to prison life, require new habilitations: the Self is “suspended” and will become alive only after getting free

Penal time – “limbo”

“reality hanging”

One conclusion

The prison has unworthy effects on relapsing conduct – especially upon detainees with “low risk”

The prison mustn’t propose more things than temporary incapacity of dangerous offenders.

There is some hope that the transformation (change-over) is possible in some cases, if some conditions are ready-made.

Conditions for reaching success of re-integration process

Some instruments for evaluation the risks of relapsing and classifying of offenders (not clinic, but statistical-scale)

The application of some correctional programs which are based on development of abilities

The implication of human resource with adequate characteristics and skills

Human resourceCritical resource !!! In present, 665 specialists work for

re-education and social reintegration of offenders “can make or break a program”The quality of relationship between offender & staff –

1/3 from changing (inmates and staff have an open and frequent process of communication)

Developing communication skillsThe teacher thinks as much that the offender can be

change, he hasn’t punitive attitudes, is strong but fair, emphatic and he applies the specific methods for pro-social shaping

Final remarks

1. The prison doesn't make wonders – the punitive experience of isolation doesn’t change people in better !!!

2. The prison aim will must be the temporary incapacitate the conducts of dangerous offenders

3. The prison is modest in reducing relapsing– but it can make progresses regarding of some principles mentioned above.

!?Maybe, here, together, we are able to discoversome answers some ideasor…(why not?!) the secret of minimization

risks’s relapsing and efficient use of re-education knowledge in prison

THANK YOU !

For any information regarding Romanian prison system visit:

www.anp-just.ro