Developing the Use of Technical Tools for Cross-Border Resettlement (DUTT)

Touch-screens in cross-border resettlement

Final Conference, 24 & 25 January 2013.

Context:

• Feasibility desk research on the potential for multi-lingual touch-screen facilities (‘TSF’) as an additional aid to transfer;

• Offenders and criminal justice practitioners;• Local, national and European resettlement and

custodial information;• Identify the benefits to such as system as well as the

difficulties;• Dissemination.

Elements:

• Desk research;• Study visits;• Interviews with criminal justice and policy

practitioners;• Latvia;• Netherlands;• UK.

Current Situation:• Transfer of Custodial Sentences: Framework

Decision 2008/909/JHA;

• Transfer of Alternative Sanctions: Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA;

• e-Justice: ICT for rationalisation, simplification, effective administration; improved access to justice and assisting with transposition.

Research Issues:

Can touch-screens be a useful way to deliver resettlement information to offenders;

•Information needs; •Information delivery;•UK, the Netherlands and Latvia

Methods:

Member States currently use a mixture of the following;•Booklets and/or leaflets tailored to returnee’s country;•Electronic format information through touch-screens, computers and video-information screens;•Information given by word of mouth from criminal justice staff or other sentenced persons.

Member State Studies:

• the Netherlands;

• Latvia;

• the UK.

Added benefit:

• Planning;

• Funding;

• Multi-lingual aspect.

Usage:

• Ad hoc, bar a few Member States;

• Dependent on ‘champions’, using their budgets to pilot the use of innovative technical solutions;

• Budgetary issues;

• Policy priorities;

• Economies of scale.

Information Delivery:

• Pooling of information for the use of those being transferred;

• For executing state to give information for their own nationals;

• Central collation.

Conclusion

• Delivery method;

• Holistic solution – administration and empowerment;

• Member State priorities.

Emma Di Iorio, London Probation Trustemma.diiorio@london.probation.gsi.gov.uk