The purpose of the project is to seek solutions to the threatening displacement and improve the insufficient life management skills of the young inmates by systematic and target-orientated work. The project is aimed at male prisoners under 30 years of age, coming from southern Finland.

The young prisoners in the project are accommodated in two separate wards, which are drug-free. Work with inmates focuses on holistic rehabilitation and reinforcement of functional abilities. Inmates can apply to these community wards for twelve inmates from any Finnish prison.

The prisoners plan their lives after release with the workers of the wards, projectworkers and the networkers in the prisoner’s home community. To enable this even more, project has two employees who continues the work with the prisoners after their release.

The goals of the project are to

• Create a model of network to support the prisoner after release
• Diminish recidivism
• Develop and reinforce functional abilities, problem-solving and other congnitive skills to support substance-free lifestyle
• Support the former inmate’s functional and occupational role in society
• Enable the continuum of rehabilitation

The functions of the wards include

• Individual planmaking for the future
• Network
• Rehabilitation from substance abuse
• Debt- and economical counselling
• Education and work activities
• Familywork and work with volunteer supporters
• Courses (employment, creative activities and physical education)
• Group activities to enhance life management skills

A multiprofessional team administrates the wards. This team includes the project workers, special advisers, assistant manager, principale officer and the prison officers of the ward. Team selects prisoners to the wards on the bases of their applications and interviews.

The main idea

To build an individual and realistic plan of the future based on the prisoner’s situation. This is done in co-operation with the prisoner, the staff and the networkers. The implementation of the plan begins during the imprisonment and continues after the release.

WOP-project after prison

The projectworker begins the work with the client already during the time in prison. Most significant is, that the work continues after the clients are released from the prison.

Plans and agreements are made with the networkers in the prisoners home communities already during the time in prison. The work after prison supports the holistic rehabilitation of the client and reinforces his functional abilities.

During the time in prison projectworkers and the networkers in communities aim to assure following things for every prisoner

• Housing; supported housing is primary
• Income
• Something meaningful to do; education, practical training, work, etc.
• At least outpatient care for substance and/or mental disorders in clients home communities
• Securing the long continuum of rehabilitation

The work after prison includes professional tutoring, housing support, service guidance and social work with intoxicant abusers. Work with the clients families and with other meaningful people close to client is important part of the whole . Work of the projectworker in the community can be characterized as intensive guidance with educational and therapeutic elements.

Essence of the work after prison is

• Intensive phase of work with the client (appr. 6 months) and after that comes follow-up time (appr. 6 months)
• Meetings with the networkers and authorities together with the client
• Taking care of some basic tasks of everyday life with the client, like getting an ID-card, bank account, travelcard, continuing the debt- and economical counseling etc.
• Advancing and reinforcing clients functional abilities
• Advancing and reinforcing clients cognitive skills in order to diminish recidivism
• Reinforcing non-criminal thinking and behavior

The goal of the work after release is to advance clients commitment to society and also to increase clients occupational role in the society. Goal of this work is to support the client to find new contents for life and reinforce the experience of meaningful life.

Contact information

Service Counsellor:

Reetta Pihl
GSM +358 50 348 4582
reetta.pihl@krits.fi

Minni Vainio
GSM +358 50 374 0678
minni.vainio@krits.fi

Senior Instructor:

Mari Kauppinen
GSM +358 50 441 9757
mari.kauppinen@om.fi

Anki Koschin
GSM +358 50 441 9756
anki.koschin@om.fi

More information

(92kB) Presentation

(77kB) WOP holistic rehabilitation continuum