“When officers use their authority well, legitimately and carefully, every outcome is improved: suicide, disorder, violence, political charge, and even prisoner’s future.”
– Professor Alison Liebling
PROJECT PRISGRADS
PROJECT PRISGRADS
Who is working on it?
PRISGRADS is an Erasmus+ -funded KA210-VET – Small-scale partnership in vocational education and training between RICHTUNGSWECHSEL, INTERCHANGE (DE) and CPIP (RO). This project actively supports the Pact for Skills ‘Liberate Skills’ and its pledge to increase the professionalisation of correctional staff. Evidenced by Unlocked Graduates, the project maps the potential for innovation in vocational training by introducing university graduates to the prison service and providing opportunities in leadership and development through prison staff mentoring.
Project ID: 2023-2-AT01-KA210-VET-000175776 PRISGRADS
Learn more about our
Effective prison officers are extremely skilled professionals who protect and rehabilitate some of the most vulnerable and damaged people in our society. According to Penal Reform International (2023) staff shortages and high staff turnover are a continuous problem faced by prison systems around the world. The lack of staff causes major disruption in the prison regimes and poorer conditions inevitably leading to further problems for staff and incarcerated individuals.
Internationally, responses to staff crises have been short termed, such as filling gaps through military services or civil servants. In their report on prisons and detention conditions in the EU, the European Parliament discusses guidelines regarding recruitment, selection, education, training and professional development of prison and probation staff (2019). Despite these guidelines, there are no compliance measures monitoring staffing at an EU level, due to prison services being exclusively regulated by Member States. However, the high staff shortages and turnover faced across the continent and their interdependence with poor prison conditions and outcomes undermine the fundamental EU values and principles on which judicial cooperation on criminal matters is based. Whilst we see that increased salaries and improved employment conditions are insufficient in supporting recruitment and retention of good prison staff, we also note that there are pockets of new initatives across Europe, and see evidence that a small culture change within prison systems can trigger big changes. Such an example is the Unlocked Graduates Programme, a leadership scheme recruiting outstanding university graduates into the prison service as frontline officers – having placed over 700 officers in prisons in England & Wales since 2017. Thereby, Unlocked raised the status of working in the prison service and raised awareness of the prison officer role in reducing reoffending – a one-of-its-kind approach and part of the solution to the prison staff crisis. We see an urgent need for prison systems in Europe to learn such effective good practice from one another.
All activities in this project are thus geared towards collecting and sharing evidence of other such effective graduate recruitment practice. The private sector invests heavily in graduate recruitment, on-boarding and mentoring graduates. In funding PRISGRADS, the EU provides a plaform to level the playing field in adapting vocational recruitment and training to prison officers’ reality. This small change could help tackle the EU prison staff turnover and recruitment crisis, and promote fundamental human rights based principles of prison. The project aims to provide an insight into how prison services, as employers, undertake an organised programme to attract and employ students who are going on to complete different forms of education. We will also look at key competences for graduates identified by prison administrations and how their recruitment process filters these skills during recruitment and initial training.
Stay Connected on LinkedIn:
We’ll share updates and exciting content about our seminars and the PRISGRADS project. Be part of the conversation—join our PRISGRADS LinkedIn group if you haven’t already:
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Center for Promoting Lifelong Learning (CPIP)
CPIP is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing lifelong learning and social engagement. By fostering community involvement, CPIP supports a culture of continuous education and promotes its core values across diverse, multicultural communities. The center offers counseling, training, and organizes a variety of workshops and seminars, both locally and internationally. CPIP also develops innovative projects on educational and social issues, co-funded by the European Commission, to enrich cultural and educational experiences.
Virtual PRISGRADS Seminar
We are thrilled to announce that our next virtual PRISGRADS seminar will take place on January 29th, 2025!
This seminar offers a unique opportunity to engage in international discussions and gain valuable insights into updates from the PRISGRADS project.
Seminar Overview:
Time: 10:00–13:00 (CET)
Location: Online
Preliminary Agenda:
- 10:00–11:00: Keynote and expert contributions
- 11:00–12:00: Project updates, presentations, next steps, and group work
- 12:00–13:00: Networking opportunity and virtual marketplace
Let’s continue working together to build something truly impactful!
We can’t wait to see you there!
Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/kf0mX
Can’t attend the full seminar? No problem—feel free to join partially!
PRISGRADS In-Person Workshop: Prison Staff Recruitment, Training, and Professional Development
We are excited to announce that the PRISGRADS In-Person Workshop on prison staff recruitment, training, and professional development will take place in Vienna (Austria) from 12th to 14th November 2024.
Workshop Overview:
The PRISGRADS team is excited to host an exclusive in-person workshop focusing on the recruitment, training, and professional development of prison staff. This three-day event will gather professionals from across Europe to explore advanced strategies and innovative practices in these critical areas.
Participants will engage with experts on various topics including staff wellbeing, cutting-edge training methodologies, and professional growth. The workshop will also feature visits to the training academy and an Austrian prison facility, providing an opportunity to observe and exchange with Austrian prison service staff.
Key Highlights:
- Interactive sessions with European professionals
- Insights into innovative training programmes
- Visits to key facilities in Austria
Participation Details:
As this workshop is invite-only, we are not able to accommodate public registrations. However, we welcome expressions of interest and are happy to provide updates on this and future events. For more information or to inquire about potential participation, please contact us at prisgradsproject@richtungswechsel.or.at.
Participation Details:
As this workshop is invite-only, we are not able to accommodate public registrations. However, we welcome expressions of interest and are happy to provide updates on this and future events. For more information or to inquire about potential participation, please contact us at prisgradsproject@richtungswechsel.or.at.
PRISGRADS News and Inspiring Practices in Graduate Recriutment and Retention
A key focus of this project is addressing one of the identified gaps in the field: the lack of shared knowledge and exchange of successful practices in graduate recruitment and retention among correctional administrations.
Too often, prison administrations operate in isolation, unaware of the innovative or inspiring approaches that have proven successful elsewhere. This project seeks to close that gap by fostering the exchange of good, current, and inspiring practices. By creating a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing, we aim to build stronger connections between correctional institutions and provide opportunities to learn from each other’s success stories.
Through this initiative, we empower prison administrations to adopt strategies that enhance graduate recruitment and retention, contributing to a more dynamic and sustainable correctional service across regions.
Please visit this page for the materials developed within the project.
PRISGRADS Workshop: Exploring Austrian Best Practices in Corrections
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Before we kick off the second day of the PRISGRADS workshop tomorrow, we had an informative morning at Korneuburg Prison and an exciting visit to the Prison Service Academy in Vienna today. 🏛️
Korneuburg Prison provided us with valuable insights into their operations and the structure of the Austrian justice system – particularly interesting for our international experts. The tour also offered a great opportunity to compare justice systems from different countries. 🌍
At the Prison Service Academy, we gained insights into recruiting, basic training for prison officers, and the mentoring program – from prerequisites to goals. 👮♂️✨
A big thank you to the Prison Service Academy and Korneuburg Prison for this educational day! 🙏
We look forward to tomorrow’s workshop! 🤝💡
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Bevor wir morgen mit dem 2. PRISGRADS-Workshop-Tag starten, hatten wir heute einen informativen Vormittag in der Justizanstalt Korneuburg und einen spannenden Besuch in der Strafvollzugsakademie Wien. 🏛️
Die Justizanstalt Korneuburg gab uns wertvolle Einblicke in ihre Abläufe und die Struktur des österreichischen Justizsystems – besonders interessant für unsere internationalen Expert:innen. Auch die Führung bot eine tolle Gelegenheit, Vergleiche zu Justizsystemen anderer Länder zu ziehen. 🌍
In der Strafvollzugsakademie erhielten wir Einblicke in das Recruiting, die Grundausbildung für Justizvollzugsbeamt:innen und das Mentoring-Programm – von den Voraussetzungen bis hin zu den Zielen. 👮♂️✨
Ein großes Dankeschön an die Strafvollzugsakademie und die Justizanstalt Korneuburg für diesen lehrreichen Tag! 🙏
Wir freuen uns auf den morgigen Workshop! 🤝💡
#PRISGRADS #Justiz #Justizvollzug #Mentoring #Networking #Ausbildung #EU #🏛️🌍
PRISGRADS Workshop Day 1
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✨ The PRISGRADS team had the pleasure of opening the first day of an exclusive workshop dedicated to the recruitment, training, and professional development of prison staff. 🌍 30 professionals from 7 countries came together to gain valuable insights and share their knowledge. The first day was marked by interactive sessions, engaging group work, and exciting topics such as “The need for high recruitment standards and EU standardisation,” defining and measuring skills needed by mentors, and inspiring presentations by Unlocked. 🤝💡
A big thank you to Unlocked for joining us and sharing their valuable expertise. Also, our gratitude goes to the EU Commission, as this would not have been possible without their support.
We look forward to the upcoming, exciting days.
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✨ Das PRISGRADS-Team hatte das Vergnügen, den ersten Tag eines exklusiven Workshops zu eröffnen, der sich ganz der Rekrutierung, Ausbildung und beruflichen Entwicklung von Justizvollzugspersonal widmet. 🌍 30 Fachleute aus 7 Ländern kamen zusammen, um gemeinsam wertvolle Einblicke zu gewinnen und ihr Wissen zu teilen. Der erste Tag war geprägt von interaktiven Sitzungen, anregenden Gruppenarbeiten und spannenden Themen wie „Der Bedarf an hohen Rekrutierungsstandards und EU-Standardisierung“, der Definition und Messung von Fähigkeiten für Mentor:innen sowie inspirierenden Präsentationen von Unlocked. 🤝💡
Ein grosses Danke dafür an Unlocked, dass sie gekommen sind und ihr wertvolles Wissen mit uns geteilt haben. Ebenso auch an die Eu Commission, denn ohne ihre Unterstützung wäre das nicht möglich gewesen.
Wir freuen uns auf die weiteren, spannenden Tage.
#PRISGRADS #Rekrutierung #Ausbildung #BeruflicheEntwicklung #Networking #Justizvollzug #EU 🌟
Arrival Day – PRISGRADS Workshop
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🎉 Anreisetag – PRISGRADS Workshop🎉:
Heute durften wir die ersten PRISGRADS Teilnehmer:innen herzlich willkommen heißen! 🌍✈️ Da viele von ihnen aus verschiedenen Ländern angereist sind und zum ersten Mal in Wien sind, haben wir einen Tourguide organisiert, um ihnen die schönsten Ecken dieser wunderbaren Stadt zu zeigen. 🏰🌳🍃 Nach einem spannenden Sightseeing-Tag lassen wir den Abend bei einem gemütlichen, gemeinsamen Abendessen ausklingen. 🍽️🥂
Die Vorfreude auf den ersten Workshop-Tag morgen ist riesig! 🚀 Bis morgen! 🤗✨
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“🎉 Arrival Day – PRISGRADS Workshop🎉:
Today, we warmly welcomed the first PRISGRADS participants! 🌍✈️ Many of them have traveled from different countries and are visiting Vienna for the first time, so we organized a tour guide to show them the most beautiful spots in this wonderful city. 🏰🌳🍃 After an exciting day of sightseeing, we’re wrapping up the evening with a cozy group dinner. 🍽️🥂
The anticipation for the first workshop day tomorrow is huge! 🚀 See you all tomorrow! 🤗✨
#PRISGRADS #WelcomeToVienna #WorkshopTime #education #training #mentoring #correctionalsystem
Next week marks the start of our PRISGRADS Workshop
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Nächste Woche startet unser 🌟 PRISGRADS-Workshop 🌟 zur Rekrutierung, Ausbildung und Entwicklung von Justizvollzugspersonal – eine dreitägige Veranstaltung, die Expert:innen aus 6 unterschiedlichen Ländern zusammenbringt. Wir freuen uns riesig auf spannende interaktive Sitzungen, spannende Gespräche, einen Justizanstaltsbesuch und auf innovative Ausbildungsansätze. ✨ PRISGRADS, gefördert durch Erasmus+, wird in Zusammenarbeit mit unseren Partnern Interchange (DE), CPIP Romania – Centrul pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente und uns: Richtungswechsel – AT durchgeführt. Wir sind stolz darauf, Teil des “Liberate Skills”-Pakts zu sein und die Professionalisierung des Justizvollzugspersonals voranzutreiben. 🛡️ Seid gespannt – nächste Woche nehmen wir euch hinter die Kulissen mit! 🔍
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Next week marks the start of our 🌟 PRISGRADS Workshop 🌟 focusing on the recruitment, training, and development of correctional staff – a three-day event bringing together experts from six different countries. We’re excited about engaging interactive sessions, a visit to a correctional facility, and innovative training approaches. ✨ PRISGRADS, funded by Erasmus+, is conducted in partnership with Interchange (DE), CPIP Romania – Centrul pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente, and us: Richtungswechsel – AT. We are proud to be part of the “Liberate Skills” Pact and committed to advancing the professionalization of correctional staff. 🛡️ Stay tuned – we’ll take you behind the scenes next week! 🔍
PRISGRADS-Workshop Recap
🇦🇹PRISGRADS-Workshop🇦🇹
Letzte Woche haben wir gemeinsam mit Rhianon Williams von https://lnkd.in/d_uZtJFy & Alexandru Ursulescu von CPIP Romania – Centrul pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente am 08.10 (auf Englisch), 09.10 (auf Deutsch) und 10.10.2024 (auf Rumänisch) jeweils zweistündige nationale Workshops veranstaltet. Diese boten eine großartige Gelegenheit für 30 Fachleute aus dem Strafvollzug, Gewerkschaften und Bildungswesen aus 6 europäischen Ländern sowie 6 Mitglieder unseres Projektteams und 2 externe Teilnehmerinnen, sich über innovative Rekrutierungspraktiken und Mentoring-Programme für Justizvollzugspersonal auszutauschen 😊💬
Die Workshops umfassten spannende Tagesordnungspunkte wie innovative Rekrutierungsansätze 🚀, Mentoring-Programme 🤝 und Gruppendiskussionen zu aktuellen Herausforderungen und zukünftigen Chancen in der Personalrekrutierung 🔍. Dabei stand der Austausch über erfolgreiche Programme wie Unlocked Graduates im Fokus, die als Vorbild für die Integration von Hochschulabsolvent*innen im Strafvollzug dienen können 🎓
Die Teilnehmer*innen hatten die Möglichkeit, sich mit Expert*innen aus verschiedenen Ländern zu vernetzen 🌍 und gemeinsam Ideen für die drängenden Herausforderungen in der Rekrutierung und Bindung von Justizvollzugspersonal zu entwickeln
Vom 12. bis 14. November treffen wir uns persönlich mit über 20 Teilnehmenden in Wien, um weiter an der Rekrutierung und Weiterbildung von Justizvollzugspersonal zu arbeiten. Wir freuen uns schon sehr und werden über die Ergebnisse berichten! 😊
🇬🇧 PRISGRADS-Workshop🇬🇧
Last week, we hosted together with Rhianon Williams from INCH & Alexandru Ursulescu from CPIP two-hour national workshops on the 8th (English), 9th (German), and 10th of October (Romanian). These provided an amazing opportunity for 30 professionals from the prison service, trade unions, and education sectors from 6 European countries, along with 6 members of our project team and 2 external participants, to exchange ideas on innovative recruitment practices and mentoring programs for prison staff 😊💬.
The workshops included exciting agenda items such as innovative recruitment approaches 🚀, mentoring programs 🤝, and group discussions on the current challenges and future opportunities in recruitment 🔍. The exchange of ideas focused on successful programs like Unlocked Graduates, which serve as a model for integrating graduates into the prison service 🎓.
Participants had the chance to connect with experts from different countries 🌍 and collaboratively work on solutions to pressing recruitment and retention challenges in the prison service 💡💪.
From November 12 to 14, we will meet in person with over 20 participants in Vienna to continue working on the recruitment and training of prison staff. We are really looking forward to it and will of course share the results! 😊
HashtagPRISGRADS HashtagRecruitment HashtagPrisonService HashtagWorkshops HashtagMentoring HashtagInnovation HashtagNetworking HashtagChange HashtagUnlockedGraduates😄
