The Prison Administration Board, in co-operation with the State Probation Service and the State Employment Agency, on December 9, 2016, has signed an agreement with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFLA) and commences implementation of the Project No. 9.1.2.0/16/I/001 “Integration of former prisoners into society and labor market”.
The aim of the Project is to provide support to prisoners and former prisoners by offering specific support actions as well as developing and implementing new support methods for the target group, including development of volunteering and active involvement of family members, promoting integration of the target group into the society and promoting involvement of former prisoners into the labor market.
Activities planned during the Project:
Integrated actions for the identification of professional qualifications and development of skills for prisoners, actions for the career development of prisoners and former prisoners, implementation of new support methods for former prisoners, specific support actions for the employment of former prisoners, implementation of new support methods for former prisoners, voluntary work with prisoners in the places of imprisonment and former prisoners in the society, support actions for families of former prisoners, actions for former prisoners to maintain positive social links, informative and publicity actions of the Project regarding the Project implementation and the Project management.
Planned results of the Project:
3500 prisoners, aged over 29 years, in 6 places of imprisonment have received career consultations and, after release from imprisonment, have begun searches for the job, organized re-socialization and support actions for prisoners and former prisoners, as well as various support actions for the families of former prisoners, formed system of volunteer work with prisoners in the places of imprisonment and former prisoners in the society and trained volunteers and confreres, etc. The activities and sub-activities foreseen by the Project comply with the activities of implementation plan of the Guidelines for Resocialization of Prisoners and the Guidelines for Resocialization of Prisoners 2015–2020.
Planned implementation time of the Project: December 31, 2022.
Planned funding for the Project is 4 853 192 EUR, including 4 125 213 EUR of the European Social Fund and 727 979 EUR of the state budget financing.
The State Employment Agency participates in the Project on the basis of the Cooperation Agreement No. 1.1-10.3/102 (on August 10, 2016) between the State Employment Agency and the Prison Administration Board “On implementation of the European Union Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund for the period 2014–2020, the Operational Program “Growth and Employment” in support of specific target 9.1.2. “To increase the integration of former prisoners into society and labor market””. Within the framework of the Project, the State Employment Agency implements the activity “Individual and group career consultations for prisoners before the involvement of prisoners in the professional education program and before the release of prisoners” at six places of imprisonment:
- Riga Central Prison, Brasa Prison, Ilguciems Prison (in Riga);
- Daugavgrivas Prison (in Daugavpils);
- Jekabpils Prison;
- Jelgava Prison.