The often overlooked and under-discussed issue of ex-offenders re-entry into society will be the topic of a round-table discussion on June 27
Social Support Society Zagreb, in cooperation with the Directorate for Criminal Law and Probation of the Ministry of Justice and Life Quality Improvement Organisation “FLIGHT” is organising a round-table discussion called Integrirani osuđenici – socijalno pravednije društvo (“Integrated inmates – a fair society”), on June 27, 2017, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., at Tribine Grada Zagreba (Kaptol 27). Find out more here.
Professionals from the justice system, Directorate for Criminal Law and Probation of the Ministry of Justice, and NGO representatives will participate in the discussion. The aim is to bring to the fore the issues connected with exercising inmates’ rights and increase the knowledge of the professionals working with the group as mentioned earlier in order to optimise the system and provide a better service.
Since 2016, the project has been carried out in the City of Zagreb, Split-Dalmatia and Osijek-Baranja Counties and it is co-financed by the Ministry of Demographics, Families, Youth and Social Policy. Social Support Society is currently working together with the Directorate for Criminal Law and Probation of the Ministry of Justice.
The aim of this project is contributing to an increase in social inclusion and integration into the community of former prisoners who have finished their sentence, as well as decrease, i.e. prevent their social exclusion on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
The project will include other activities, such as creating and printing educational materials for prisoners and professionals working with them. Social Support Society is working on developing a database of social rights and services for prisoners, which will be published on their website. In addition, the project will address professionals from the fields of judiciary, social welfare, and NGOs through public discussions and expert meetings.
This often overlooked topic has not been discussed enough in the Croatian society or the media, but various events related to it do take place in the country – just last week, the Ministry of Justice has hosted a panel on rights and needs of children affected by the imprisonment of a parent.
pravosudje.gov.hr
The panel is part of a pan-European campaign entitled “Not my crime, still my sentence.”
This year, the campaign has two focuses: one, to improve the prison visits experience for children visiting their imprisoned parent; the other, to reach out to those children not yet receiving support from COPE members and perhaps not yet in contact with their imprisoned parent. Find out more here.
