PRISNET

The Prisnet partnership represents NGOs, CSOs and institutions working across the Western Balkans region in the prison system addressing human rights and social issues facing prisoners and prison staff and implementing grassroots projects to support and expand rehabilitation projects.  We also aim to increase the involvement of civil society with state run institutions in order to support the institutions, bring funding to the region and exchange cross country best practices.

www.futureprisnet.eu represents the next step following on from the successful completion of the prison monitoring project Prisnet which received funding from EU DG Enlargement.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION

The overall objective is to improve the dialogue with and between religious minorities in WB and EU prisons, with the main scope of reducing the phenomenon of radicalization and clash of civilizations on a transnational basis. Through this objective, we should guarantee a more appropriate respect for minorities inside the penitentiary systems, through a re-education methodology which takes into account their religious beliefs, their traditions and cultures.

Partners

• Centre for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria;
• Forum for Ethnic Relations (Serbia);
• Consiglio delle Relazioni Islamiche Italiane (CRII), Italy;
• Albanian Institute for International Studies(AIIS), Albania;
• SOSDER (Turkey);
• Università Europea di Roma, Italy;
• Little People of Kosovo.

TARGET GROUPS

• Minorities organizations in the Western Balkans;
• Western Balkans prisons’ staff;
• Inmates in WB prisons.

FINAL BENEFICIARIES

• Law enforcement agencies;
• local communities at large;
• penitentiary systems;
• inmates from religious and ethnic minorities.

ESTIMATED RESULTS

• Improved penitentiary system in Western Balkans area;
• Enhanced intercultural with vulnerable inmates coming from minorities inside prisons;
• Increased participation of CSOs in the prison and re-educational treatments;
• Improved competence of the prisons’ staff;
• Enhanced wellbeing and representation of inmates from minorities and vulnerable groups in Western Balkans prisons.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Creation of a permanent platform of discussion on inter-religious and intercultural dialogue inside prisons;
• Focus Groups with stakeholders and experts;
• Analysis of the acquis in the respect of minorities in penitentiary systems;
• Training of trainers;
• Recommendations for improved role of CSOs in the intercultural dialogue inside prisons;
• Communication and dissemination.