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Application of Family Group Conferencing in the process of inmate support and after-care. Velez Edit 2009. április 28. Prisoners-released prisoners. Inmate support: Begins at least six months before the estimated date of release from the correctional facility ,
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Application of Family Group Conferencing in the process of inmate support and after-care Velez Edit 2009. április 28.
Prisoners-released prisoners • Inmate support: • Begins at least six months before the estimated date of release from the correctional facility, • or at least two months before the estimated date of temporary release from the reformatory institution. • After care: • Begins after release from correctional facility or reformatory institution- • Released prisoners can apply for after-care within 3 months from release
Inmate support • Prisoners • Juveniles in reformatory institutions • After care: • Prisoners released on parole without probation • Prisoners released after serving their full sentence • Juveniles released from reformatory institutions– threre is special after-care for them in the reformatory. Probation officers co-operate in this after-care.
Probation supervision • Juveniles released temporarily from reformatory institutions -obligatory • Prisoners released on parole with probation supervision-ordered by the prison judge
After-care • Close to social work: • Voluntary basis, focuses on the needs of the offender, helping process developed by the client and the social worker together (e.g. contract) • Differences from probation supervision • There’no control function • There are no behavioural rules • There are no legal consequences • Duration depends on nature of the case
Fields of intervention • Family relationships • Replacing lost official documents • Employment • Housing • Education • Medical care, health • Improving skills,changing behaviour
Methods • 1.Questionnaire • 2. Providing information • 3. Individual case work • 4. Group work
Aim • Improvement toolkit and resources of probation supervision and after-care
Family Group Conferencing Project „For a balanced, free life” Involvement of the family, the community and the professionals in the after-care of prisoners with addiction problems -project supported by the National Crime Prevention Committee 2007. 09.15.-2008. 04. 30. • Target group: prisoners before release with alcohol/drug problems
Organisations in the project • Pest County Office of Justice • Partners: • Budapest Prison • Tököl Juvenile Prison • Participants: • Community Service Foundation Hungary, Negrea Vidia, trainer in Family Group Conferencing • From National Drug Prevention Institute: Ákos Topolánszky , Edina Kósa • Borbála Paksi researcher, Viselkedéskutató Kft • Kortárs Segítő Műhely Foundation, József Zelenák addictologist, psychiatrist
Aims of the project • Strengthening family relationships of the prisoner before release, finding resources of re-integration • Promotion of active attitude on individual and community, family level • Raising and maintaining motivation towards change with the help of family relationships • Make the prisoner aware of his/her alcohol/drug problems. Idea: drug counselors should take part in the conference • Method: FGC
Aims of the project • To train the probation officers to use FGC during the inmate support and after-care • 20 probation officers were trained
Actors in the process • Prisoners before release and their families • Prison staff • Providing information about prisoners before release • Probation officers working in the prison • Interviewing the prisoners, informing them about FGC • Facilitators • Contact with the prisoner • Organizing the conference • Follow-up, evaluation of the FGC
Conclusions : • Intention to co-operate is stronger in families that still function as a family and where prisoners are welcomed back at home • Involvement of families that suffered long time from the addiction of the prisoner is difficult. In these cases imprisonment of their family member was a relief. • It is easier to involve the familiy before the release. As the time passes it is getting more difficult.
Conclusions • Preparation of FGC requires the most work • It is not a suitable method to treat long and deep conflicts even after a well-based preparation
Conclusions • People with addiction problems often have difficulties to admit that they suffer from this kind of problem • Presumably one who doesn’t admit that he/she has an alchol/drug problem won’t take part in a FGC
ContinuationSeptember 2008-May 2009 • Making an educational film about the FGC-s • Trainings: • - Motivational interviewing with drug/alcohol users during helping process • - Method od FGC • Facilitating FGC in 20 cases • Providing supervision for probation officers and prison staff who have taken part in the training of FGC • (51 probation officers and 2 members of prison staff)
Thank you for your attention! veleze@pjsz.gov.hu