IO 1 Programming of a volunteer database for companies and voluntary persons and associations

The project partners are developing a database to register volunteer organizations and individuals (e.g. from the fields of sports and charitable institutions) who are interested in working with prisons in the future to facilitate a pathway into a stable social structure for inmates following their detention.

It also serves to register companies that offer internships, apprenticeships or jobs for released inmates. They can add their offers to the database themselves. The registration is voluntary for all participants.

The project partners promote the database and maintain the contacts gained thereby, record them in their networks and connect them with their associated correctional facilities. Prison staff or, depending on the respective partner country, associated NGOs will have direct access to the database in order to significantly facilitate the identification of companies, volunteer individuals and organizations. Only correctional facilities or associated NGOs and the project partners will be able to access the data of the volunteers and companies.

The project partnership has set itself the goal to get at least 20 companies and 20 volunteers or organizations in each partner country (Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal) to register in the database. The database can be used by all participants regardless of the hardware - also on mobile devices (browser-based software).

IO 2 Development of a pedagogical handout for prison/NGO staff for the assessment of key competencies of inmates

The project partners are developing observation sheets for prison staff and employees of the associated NGOs, which are used within the project to evaluate the inmates with grades during the sports activities, where social skills are particularly evident. Therefore, this field is particularly suitable for observing the inmates and assigning grades. The observation sheets can be used especially during the group sports in the prisons, but also for other activities where it is possible to observe the social competencies of the inmates.

This activity is designed to identify individual and suitable work and training opportunities for inmates during their time in prison. In addition to increasing the motivation, it offers the possibility of placing them precisely in the labor market after their release from prison, since the grades enable a specific classification for employment in certain occupations. The grades serve as a reference for good performances and can be considered as a building block for a successful integration into work and society. This allows inmates to present their good grades as a reference to potential employers.

Correctional staff or NGO employees are trained in advance regarding the correct handling and understanding of the observation sheets to ensure the appropriate use of the sheets. They learn the criteria for assigning school grades and how to apply them. The observation sheets are specially adapted to the requirements of a correctional facility. During the elaboration, special consideration is given to the fact that employees in the correctional facilities and of associated NGOs are not always pedagogically trained professionals.

IO 3 Model testing of a process chain for the specific addressing and placement of former inmates in the labor market

The process chain aims to coordinate the activities of regional actors. This offers the possibility of facilitating the integration of former inmates into internships, vocational training or the labor market. In order to achieve this, the project uses the volunteer database as well as the pedagogical observation forms, which are developed during the project. The database gives prisons and associated NGOs access to contact details of companies interested in employing released prisoners, enabling them to bring the companies and inmates together before their release and to accompany the release process. The observation sheets can be used to identify inmates suitable for this program.

The process chain brings together all the important and necessary participants to achieve the goals of the project.