In prisons, the individual psychosocial work or spiritual counselling is mainly carried out by psychologists, chaplains, social workers and senior instructors. Additionally, senior criminal sanctions officials, who are responsible for the realisation of the sentence plans, support and motivate the prisoner to adopt abilities to live without crime and make sure that the activities in prison proceed according to the prisoner’s sentence plan.

Psychosocial work aims to reduce social problems and mental distress within the lives of individuals and families. The goal of psychosocial work is to promote coping and, often, also to change the ways of functioning and thinking. The psychologists carry out mental health work by providing psychological counselling, support and therapy. The social workers assist prisoners with the management of issues related to, e.g. their children’s situation or accommodation in civilian as well as with the preparation of the social circumstances for the release in co-operation with the social welfare, housing and employment authorities and other necessary operators. The chaplains provide spiritual counselling, which includes social support especially in the release phase when it is important to create further contacts with the congregations and treatment providers. Substance abuse instructors carry out individual substance abuse rehabilitation and prepare continuums for rehabilitation in outside substance abuse treatment institutions. Psychosocial work also includes family work, such as arranging family meetings and family counselling as well as group programmes aiming at social rehabilitation and a life without crime.

Spiritual counselling in prison

All imprisoned people retain their basic right to practice a religion while in prison. This right is provided by both the Finnish legislation and international conventions.Maintaining the preconditions for religious practice in prison is a key task of the spiritual counselling. Church services and other spiritual activities are regularly arranged in prisons. Prisons must have premises suitable for the practice of religion in accordance with the needs of the prisoners. The main principle is that each prison has a church/chapel dedicated to religious practice. Especially in open prison, the prisoners can be allowed to attend spiritual events arranged in the locality of the prison. The spiritual counselling arranged in prisons also includes individual spiritual counselling. A confidential one-to-one discussion with a spiritual representative has to be guaranteed in all circumstances in prisons. Besides Christians, also others have to be ensured the right to practice religion in prison. The prison chaplains’ duties include arranging them, too, a possibility to practice their own religion as well as to meet a spiritual representative of their own religion when necessary.

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Support from outside organisations

Different authorities and other co-operation partners can meet prisoners in prison on account of, e.g., the management of social matters, the preparation of the release and the provision of spiritual or religious support. They can also arrange local meeting groups or information sessions or take part in the social rehabilitation groups. Employment offices or labour force service centres help released prisoners with employment and can arrange related appointments in prison. A support association called KRIS Finland visits prisoners in order to inform them of the support the association offers as well as to motivate them to change their lifestyle.Some prisons have employed a municipal social worker for the purpose of preparing the release of prisoners. Prisoners can also arrange their affairs, e.g., in the social welfare office or the employment office of their municipality of residence during their prison leaves.

Employees and volunteers of the Finnish Red Cross, AA, NA as well as different congregations and religious communities arrange both group activities and individual discussions with prisoners in prisons. The KRIS Finland supports prisoners also during their prison leaves and, when necessary, meet released prisoners at the prison gates.

A social worker and an ombudsman for probation and aftercare employed by the Probation Foundation Finland provide legal assistance, counselling and support to offenders who have served their sentence as well as to their relatives and other people close to them. Assistance and counselling are often needed, for instance, with the arrangement of debts, debt enforcement matters or social and health services. The ombudsmen visit prisons and arrange information sessions and appointments. They can be contacted by phone, mail or email. In an online service called Portti vapauteen (gate to freedom), the ombudsmen can reply to questions via the internet.

Top Activities of the Finnish Red Cross in prisons: The prison visitor activities of the Finnish Red Cross give a prisoner a possibility to establish a relationship with a person outside the prison on a voluntary basis. The aim is also to support a prisoner’s social development and interaction skills by offering a chance to discuss with a person who is familiar with the friend visitor activities. In co-operation with the prison personnel, the Finnish Red Cross organises personal visits, group activities and theme events in prisons as well as voluntary service tasks outside prisons. Group meetings can be discussion groups, study groups concentrating on certain themes, or other activity groups. The visits are based on voluntariness and the contact between the visitor and the prisoner ends when the prisoner is released. Prison visitors commit themselves to the obligation of confidentiality. In Finland, there are nearly 100 prison visitors.

• For further information on the Finnish Red Cross, please contact tel. +358 9 12 931.

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Activities of congregations and other religious communities in prisons: Activities of various congregations and religious communities include, for instance, local meeting groups and spiritual events or groups. A prisoner can also discuss with the representatives of congregations. Prisons are visited by the priests and volunteers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Orthodox Church as well as the representatives of the Pentecostal Movement, the Evangelical Free Church, the Salvation Army and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Prison Fellowship Finland supports the voluntary prison work of different Christian communities. Mainly on account of foreign prisoners, there is also need for visits of the representatives of the Roman-Catholic Church and the Islamic Society in particular. Because the practice of religion is a basic right, the minority groups have to also be guaranteed the same right.