The project seeks to provide, on the basis of a human rights- and gender-orientation and research on similar implemented programmes in the EU, an approach to gender violence that may enable women and men in prisons more in their later life to avoid such violence. The project aims to provide an innovative, gender focused in-prison pilot socio-educational programme for women who have suffered gender violence and men who have committed violence against women in intimate relationships.

The project takes place with the support of the European Commission’s Daphne II Programme to combat violence against children, young people and women

Project partners:
SURT (Barcelona, Spain) http://www.surt.org/
Packhaus (Kiel, Germany) http://www.packhaus-kiel.de/
MONA Foundation for the Women of Hungary (Budapest, Hungary)

Expected results of the 2-year project are:
1. A research report on existing similar programmes (including educational, therapeutic or other programmes) based on the consultation with a group of experts (task force groups) in each country and on secondary research by the partners. The reviewed programmes include:
a) Existing forms of in-prison and out-of-prison programmes for both target groups – women and men – in Germany, Hungary and Spain;
b) Main types of existing in-prison treatment programmes for both target groups implemented in European Union Member States, their results, and best practice for both target groups.

2. Development of a treatment programme approach shared among the project partners, for both target groups. The shared approach will be based on the results of the above research, and on the guidelines agreed at a trans-national meeting in Germany, where the familiarization with approaches and methods to be used during the project will also take place. As a result, a shared treatment manual is produced.

3. Implementation of the pilot treatment programmes in a women’s and a men’s penitentiary institution each, both in Hungary and Catalonia, Spain. The pilot groups are to consist of 10 to 15 voluntary participants and are expected to run for 6 months, under the coordination of selected facilitators but involving prison staff where appropriate. During the implementation of the pilot programme, training about gender violence for the prison personnel is developed and takes place at one-day training sessions for ca. 20-25 staff members respectively. The pilot programme is finally evaluated by the participants as well as by the professionals and prison staff involved in the project.

The project is coordinated by Réka Sáfrány (safrany.reka@t-online.hu). Expert assistance is provided by Éva Földvári.

Our national consulted partners are:

NANE Women’s Rights Association
Váltósáv – Changing Lane Foundation
BVOP – National Penitentiary Administration

The project’s website is at: http://surt.org/altra/