Detainees from Aiud Penitentiary, ready to return to the community
Over 150 people deprived of liberty from the Aiud Maximum Security Penitentiary were included by the Pakiv Romania Association in a complex support program, meant to reduce the risk of recidivism and increase their chances of reintegration into the family and community after release. The program is part of the project “Increasing the Chances of Social Inclusion of Roma Deprived of Liberty in Aiud Penitentiary”, funded by the EEA Grants 2014-2021, through the Local Development Programme. By involving the family members and friends of the detainees, as support persons, the project aims to provide support to a total number of 635 people, of which 430 are Roma.
The support activities (socio-educational, pro-employment and health) planned within the project are currently in full swing, in the first 6 months since the start of 165 people deprived of liberty being already included in the program. Of these, 137 are of Roma ethnicity.
After a first, natural stage of evaluation, following which a personalized support program was established for each beneficiary, according to his specific needs, detainees are included, in stages, in personal development activities (creativity workshops, cultural projects -artistic and volunteering) and in individual and group counseling and therapy programs, respectively parental counseling, in the case of parents-detainees.
At another level, the project aims to have a real impact in reducing discrimination, of any kind, in the penitentiary. Four awareness campaigns on the phenomenon of discrimination, as well as training programs addressed to the prison staff, regarding the work with Roma people and on anti-discrimination issues, were included in the project, in this regard.
Where does the preoccupation of the project promoter, an organization specialized in Roma inclusion programs, for the situation of persons deprived of liberty come from? ”The Pakiv Romania Association has been involved in solving social problems regarding disadvantaged groups, carrying out support projects for them for over 10 years. Initially, the focus was only on the Roma, later the organization expanding its interest in other priority areas of social life: unemployment, social and professional inclusion, equal opportunities, combating discrimination among people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and other groups. vulnerable, school dropout, etc. ”, explained Mr. Gruia Bumbu, the president of the association and the project coordinator.
The project Increasing the Chances of Social Inclusion of Roma Deprived of Liberty in the Aiud Penitentiary benefits from a funding of 465,459 euros, being implemented by the Pakiv Romania Association, in partnership with the Aiud Maximum Security Penitentiary. The project aims to, during 24 months, to support the efforts of social integration of some persons deprived of liberty in the Aiud Penitentiary, mostly of Roma ethnicity, through personalized and integrated measures.