• Branches

  • EPEA

    Branches

    The EPEA encourages the establishment of national branches to ensure that we are meeting the local, immediate and specific needs of our members, and in order to represent their interests at a national and international level. Any such representation is stronger coming under the auspices of the firmly established, well respected and international EPEA organisation. Working locally and collaboratively within a branch structure allows members establish a national presence so that they can achieve their objectives within the overarching protection, support and benefits that only an international NGO can bring.

    What do we mean by a branch?

    The branch is the local organisation of the EPEA at a national level. It shares the same basic aims as the EPEA as well as its governance structure. In effect, the branch is the EPEA’s representative body in that country and it is the primary point of contact between the local members and the EPEA. The Steering Committee of the branch is comprised of elected volunteers responsible to the Steering Committee of the EPEA. The national branch itself cannot be an institutional member of the EPEA. The individual and institutional members of the national branch are automatically individual or institutional members of EPEA.
    Why set up a branch of the EPEA?
    • To provide a strong and united voice backed by a international organisation
    • To achieve local, immediate and specific objectives
    • To represent and disseminate the interests of local prison educators at national and international level
    • To influence national and international policy, practice and decision making
    • To facilitate and organise meetings, seminars and exchanges of information for branch members
    • To channel communication and interaction among branch members and from members to the national branch and the EPEA
    • To increase EPEA responsiveness to the local needs of branch members
    • To mobilise local support for national and international campaigns
    • To participate in EU-sponsored and other projects designed to share best practices and new innovations among prison educators across Europe.
    • To create a clear, co-ordinated and recognised image
    How to form a branch:
    1. Arrange a meeting for as many people as possible that are interested in starting a national branch. Try to invite as wide a range of people from as large a geographical spread as possible. EPEA membership is not just for prison teacher but is open to anyone with an interest in our work. This will include policy makers, education providers, prison governors, psychology and welfare staff, researchers, etc.
    2. Elect or appoint in interim Committee to work on the setting up and organization of the branch. Download a copy of the EPEA Constitution as a basis and template for drafting a constitution for your new branch.
    3. Elect a Steering Committee for the branch. A minimum of three officers is required, e.g. Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary. Members of the local branch (ie., EPEA members in that country) must elect all Steering Committee members and all members can stand for election.
    4. Open a bank account that can be audited annually.
    5. Submit to the EPEA Steering Committee a copy of your constitution, the names of your elected officers, a list of your branch membership, bank account details (which the EPEA Treasurer can examine at any time if necessary), together with a request to become a national branch of EPEA. The EPEA Steering Committee will approve the branch at its next biannual meeting if all the criteria are fulfilled.
    6. Start to collect annual membership fees from your members. Individual and institutional annual dues for each member at the current rates should be submitted to the EPEA Treasurer as soon as possible, plus a list of all members, giving names, addresses, and email addresses when available. The list of branch members and their contact details must be copied also to the Secretary of the EPEA. You may charge a sum in excess of the EPEA fees, if you wish, in order to run your branch. The excess local branch fee must not exceed fifty per cent (50%) of the annual EPEA membership fees. When the EPEA Treasurer has received the membership fees and approval of the EPEA Steering Committee has been confirmed, the new branch will become an official national branch of EPEA.
    7. Register your branch locally.
    Criteria to be fulfilled to be accepted as a national branch:
    The following procedures must be adhered to before the Steering Committee of the EPEA can approve a branch –
    1. The country must have 10 members or more before they can consider forming a branch.
    2. The national branch itself cannot be an institutional member of the EPEA. The individual and institutional members of the national branch are automatically individual members of EPEA.
    3. A constitution for the branch must be drafted and agreed by the local members of the branch, and the Steering Committee of the EPEA. This constitution must reflect the ideals and aspirations of the EPEA.
    4. The local membership must elect an Executive Committee for the branch, to include a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer. An interim or provisional Committee can be formed while setting up the branch and organising the elections following written notification to all local members.
    5. Elections must be held regularly and all local members must be given the opportunity to both vote and stand for election. Notice of elections and changes to the Executive Committee membership must be sent to the Steering Committee of the EPEA.
    6. The branch must call an Annual General Meeting.
    7. The branch must provide a written report for each EPEA Steering Committee biannual meeting.
    8. The branch must open a bank account and furnish details of any funds held to the Steering Committee of the EPEA if requested.
    Closed Branches:
    • EPEA Denmark
    • EPEA Malta
    • EPEA France
    • EPEA Hungary
    • SOLA Schotland
  • EPEA Ireland

  • EPEA

    Ireland

    Irish Prison Education Association

    We promote the view that education in prison is a moral right that meets a basic human need, and within this perspective, personal development is considered to be an aim, a process and a result of prison education. We believe that education in prison has the power to transform prisoners lives by enabling them understand, critique and question their previously unquestioned perceptions, assumptions and worldview. Prison education can facilitate the prisoners successful re-entry into society by cultivating the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation necessary for active citizenship.

    The aims of the association are:

    • To act as a recognised branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA)
    • To promote education in prison according to the Recommendations No. R (89) 12 of the Committee of Ministers to the members states of the Council of Europe (1990)
    • To promote education in Irish prisons as set out in the Strategy Statement of the Prison Education Service 2010-2015
    • To support and assist the professional development of persons involved in education in prison
    • To act as an advocate on behalf of educators in Irish prisons
    • To support penal reform.
    Executive Committee:

    Chairperson: Jane Carrigan
    Secretary: Edel Cunningham (Edel Scanlan)
    Treasurer: Peter Doyle
    Liaison Person: Eleanor Jones
    Liaison Person: Michelle Ryan
    Lifelong Member: Kevin Warner
    EPEA Webmaster: Deirdre Brennan

    Email: ipea.events@gmail.com

    Other Resources:

    www.pepre.ie

    This website makes available writing by Kevin Warner. Kevin Warner was National Co-ordinator of Prison Education, in the Department of Justice/Irish Prison Service, 1979 – 2009. (Retired December 2009). This involved developing, in conjunction with education bodies from the community, prison education services (which had only a marginal role in prisons in 1979) so that they became by far the most substantial structured activity in which Irish prisoners participated.

    Much of the material pertains to Ireland, but some is written with a European or American context in mind. A few of the items included here have been written jointly with others.

    The site also contains related material written by others, as well as links to like-minded websites.

  • EPEA Klasbak

  • EPEA

    Klasbak

    Netwerk voor leren in de Gevangenis
    Klasbak is the Flemish branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA). Klasbak is a network of organisations and individuals active in prison education in Flanders and Brussels.
    Vision:
    Society regards prisoners as full citizens and detention as a chance. Detention takes place in a stimulating environment with an innovative and sustainable learning culture. The detained person has a central position in this.
    Mission:
    Prison education is our starting point to:
    • initiate research
    • create vision and concepts
    • develop products co
    • creatively
    • influence policy
    • sensitize
    • inform
    General Policy Plan:
    1. We develop an efficient internal organisation in order to operate sustainably.
      • We acquire financial resources
      • We enforce our administrative organisation
      • We optimize our internal and external communication
    2. We design and realize a network model to become an anchored networking organization.
      • We design a networking model and an operational model for Klasbak ambassadors
      • We realize sustainable partnerships by putting these models into practice
    3. We initiate and valorize research on prison education to improve policy and practice further.
      • We initiate innovative research on prison education
      • We disseminate and valorize research on prison education
    4. We develop clear visions and concepts on prison education to innovate and stimulate policy and practice.
      • We develop a basic vision on prison education
      • We develop thematic visions and concepts on prison education
      • We communicate directly about the developed vision and concepts to give Klasbak an identity
    5. We influence policy of governments and institutions to realize structural improvements of prison education.
      • We map our policy network and put prison education on the political agenda
      • We advise policy makers and politician and are asked for advice
    6. We sensitize society to bring attention to the topic of prison education.
      • We sensitize within prison walls on prison education
      • We sensitize without prison walls on prison education
    Policy plan 2021-2023:

    Klasbak was founded in 2012 as an informal network of organizations and people involved in education in prisons. In November 2015, Klasbak was recognized as the Flemish branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA).

    In 2021, Klasbak took up the challenge to draw up a new policy plan. A plan in which they indicate how they want to work together on learning in prison in the coming years. Klasbak is primarily a network organization. It is therefore logical that this entire policy plan has its roots in their network. Since the spring of 2020, they have brought teachers, trainers, educational organizations, correctional officers, prison administrators, scientists, policymakers and government services together to build up their “impact chain”.

    Klasbak is a network that works on a society in which:

    • A prisoner is seen as a full citizen.
    • Society invests in the recovery and reintegration of prisoners.
    • The detention environment is a learning environment.
    • A prisoner can put together a targeted and meaningful learning pathway that offers perspective, with a view to recovery and reintegration.
    Klasbak wants to contribute to the following challenges: the prison as a “learning” environment, the bridge inside outside, participation and digitization.
    • The learning prison Klasbak strives for the prison context to be a learning environment. Not only for the inmates, but also for those who work there. The inmate is stimulated to learn in various ways, formally and informally.
    • Bridge inside outside Klasbak emphasizes reintegration. From day one of the detention, a inmate must be given the help and opportunities to prepare for a return to society. Learning is an important part of this.
    • Digitization We live in a digital society. We do everything online and we do it every day, but in Belgian prisons there is no internet access for inmates. This makes good preparation for the outside world and learning in detention more difficult.
    • Participatory prisons In the coming policy period, Klasbak aims to develop a concrete participatory process into a “participatory prison” in which the penitentiary security staff will be explicitly assigned a place. Klasbak plans to test this in 2 prisons to get concrete experiences and export them.
    Members of the board:

    Chairperson: Liesbeth De Donder Liesbeth.De.Donder@vub.be
    Secretary: Inge Van Acker inge.van.acker@vocvo.be
    Liaison Persons: Marleen Strubbe marleen.strubbe@vocvo.be and Lut Lippeveld Lut.lippeveld@deoranjerie.be
    Coordinator: Bieke Deloof, bieke@klasbak.net

  • APEnP Portugal

  • EPEA

    APEnP Portugal

    Associação Portuguesa de Educação nas Prisões

    Address:

    Departamento de Educação e Psicologia
    Edifício do Pólo I da Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais
    Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
    Quinta de Prados
    P – 5001-801 Vila Real

    Email: geral@apenp.pt

    Documents:
    Newsletter:
  • EPEA Hellas

  • EPEA

    Hellas

    February 24, 2007 the EPEA Hellas was founded by 24 members and the number soon grew to about 40 and more are to join. Liason Persons and Officers were elected.

    Aims:

    1. The aims of the E.P.E.A. – Hellas Branch shall be:
    • To act as a recognized branch of the European Prison Education Association.
    • To promote Education in Prison according to the Recommendation No. R (89) 12 of the Committee of Ministers to member States of the Council of Europe (1989).
    • To support and assist the professional development of persons involved in Education in Prison through European co-operation.
    • To work with related professional organizations.
    • To support research in the field of Education in Prison.
    • To monitor and support the development of Prison Education in Hellas.

    2. Education in Prison is defined as education provided for all persons who are under the supervision of the judiciary, whether sentenced or awaiting trial, and whether serving a sentence in prison or in the community.

    3. Persons involved are defined as all those working in the field of Education in Prison and in related disciplines.

    Liaison Persons:

    Papadimitriou Ioannis, Anastasia Peppa

    SC members:

    Chairperson: Papadimitriou Ioannis
    Secretary: Anastasia Peppa
    Treasurer: Sofia Samara
    Member: Georgios Trandas
    Member: Marilena Petrogianni

  • SWIPEA Switzerland

  • EPEA

    SWIPEA Switzerland

    Swiss Prison Education Association

    After the Swiss Institute for Education in Prison (SIEP) had already been active in Swiss prisons for more than 10 years, SWIPEA was founded in spring 2019 in order to be able to become increasingly involved at European level.

    SWIPEA comprises all the staff of SIEP, which is a department of the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP) in Fribourg. SWIPEA’s activities to the present day therefore correspond to those of SIEP.

    SIEP provides primary and secondary school education in 29 prisons throughout Switzerland. In about 140 learning groups, 43 teachers currently teach more than 1700 participants each year.

    Annual Report of SWIPEA – Swiss Prison Education Association – 2019:

    The Swiss Prison Education Association (SWIPEA) was founded at the end of January 2019 and recognized by the Steering Committee as an official branch of EPEA in March.

    SWIPEA comprises all employees of the Swiss Institute for Education in Prison (SIEP) and is established as a legal entity for a dependent department within the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP). This means that the activities of SWIPEA correspond until now to those of the SIEP.

    SIEP provides primary and secondary school education in 29 prisons throughout Switzerland. In about 140 learning groups, 43 teachers currently teach more than 1700 participants each year.

    Particular attention is paid to the continuous education of teachers. Each year, 7 events are organised to deal with prison topics or pedagogical issues. Teachers are also given the opportunity to carry out an intervision in small groups – in the absence of their superiors.

    Topics of this year were e.g. brain fair learning and solution focused competence in teaching. It took a long time to prepare the integration of SIEP into SCEPP by January 1st, 2020.

    At the international level, Erasmus+ funded job shadowing was carried out with fellow teachers in Spain. 6 teachers from Switzerland attended classes in prisons in Granada and Almería, 7 teachers from Spain attended classes in 4 prisons in both German and French-speaking Switzerland.

    Planning for identical job shadowing in Spain next year and job shadowing with colleagues from Austria has already begun.

    In June, at the EPEA conference in Dublin, we presented our self-developed teaching aid German in Prison (or French respectively). The foreign participants learn the basic vocabulary and the key rules of conduct so that they can cope with everyday life in prison as autonomously as possible. As a result of the presentation in Dublin, the Ministry of Justice of North Rhine-Westphalia became interested in taking over the teaching material for the prison institutions there. It looks as if an adapted licensed version of the teaching material can be produced next year.

    Finally, an exchange was agreed for next year with the Institute for Education in the Information Society (IBI) at the University of Berlin. The IBI was in charge of a project at the JVA Heidering in Berlin. The aim was to create a learning and communication platform within the prison facility to which the inmates could access via WLAN using specially configured tablets. The project is a complete success, such a platform with supervised access to the Internet and e-mail traffic is possible.

    A similar objective, but at a simpler level, is the pilot project that SIEP intends to launch next year: to test the use of tablets with pre-installed learning software in class.

  • EPEA Netherlands

  • EPEA

    Netherlands

    On the 5th November 2010 we celebrated the official start of our Dutch EPEA branch: EPEA-NL.

    For years, in Holland, the EPEA had been a group of enthusiastic, but individual members. Only few of them were (very) active members in the European point of view. We also just didn’t manage to find time to form a branch. But the members were of course individuals with an extended interest in their work, with a curiosity to learn and hear more about how matters are dealt with in other European countries.

    For years, in the Netherlands, EPEA-NL had been a group of enthusiastic, but individual members. Only few of them were (very) active members from a European point of view. But the members were of course individuals with an enormous interest in their work, with a curiosity to learn and hear more about how matters are dealt with in other European countries. Now, a couple of years later, EPEA-NL is growing and more people are getting involved in prison education. Together with a couple of other organizations working with prisoners we have formed a consortium which enables us to work and learn together from a broader perspective.

    Steering Committee:

    Chairperson: Peter van Olmen, PvanOlmen@intermetzo.nl
    Secretary: Floor Kloosterman, secretaris@epea-nl.nl
    Treasurer & website: Jan Paul van Gemeren, janpaulvg@gmail.com
    Member: Ed Santman, edsantman@gmail.com
    Member: Annet Bakker

  • EPEA Norway FOKO

  • EPEA

    Norway FOKO

    History:

    1982 -1984: 3 people get together and make the first attempt to form a national organisation. Lack of funding and interest – the organisation dies.

    1990: The Council of Europe publishes recommendations for Prison Education. This document is translated into Norwegian and sent to all prison schools and prisons.

    1992: Norwegian Ministry of Education recommends improving Prison Education

    1993: EPEA is formally established

    1995: Another attempt is made to establish a national Norwegian organisation: 6 people get together. A new FOKO is established with 50-60 members (out of some 240 fulltime / part-time teachers in Norway).

    2003: Norway arranged the 9th EPEA Conference

    Members 2018:
    Aprox. 330 members. Members are Teaching Staff, Prison Staff, Probation Service Staff, Education Administrators, workers in the social welfare system, researchers and others. There are aprox 400 teachers working fulltime or part-time in Norwegian prison system.
    Activities:
    • An annual conference every autumn (aprox 280 participants)
    • A closed facebook group
    • Scholarships for members
    • Political contacts
    • Lobbying
    • Media contacts
    Steering committee 2018-19:

    Chair: Janne Offerdal
    Secretary: Paal Breivik
    Treasurer: Wenche Stenersen
    Lise Olafsen
    Roy Høgberget
    Pål Endresplass
    Leif Einar Øverland

EPEA

Branches

The EPEA encourages the establishment of national branches to ensure that we are meeting the local, immediate and specific needs of our members, and in order to represent their interests at a national and international level. Any such representation is stronger coming under the auspices of the firmly established, well respected and international EPEA organisation. Working locally and collaboratively within a branch structure allows members establish a national presence so that they can achieve their objectives within the overarching protection, support and benefits that only an international NGO can bring.

What do we mean by a branch?

The branch is the local organisation of the EPEA at a national level. It shares the same basic aims as the EPEA as well as its governance structure. In effect, the branch is the EPEA’s representative body in that country and it is the primary point of contact between the local members and the EPEA. The Steering Committee of the branch is comprised of elected volunteers responsible to the Steering Committee of the EPEA. The national branch itself cannot be an institutional member of the EPEA. The individual and institutional members of the national branch are automatically individual or institutional members of EPEA.
Why set up a branch of the EPEA?
  • To provide a strong and united voice backed by a international organisation
  • To achieve local, immediate and specific objectives
  • To represent and disseminate the interests of local prison educators at national and international level
  • To influence national and international policy, practice and decision making
  • To facilitate and organise meetings, seminars and exchanges of information for branch members
  • To channel communication and interaction among branch members and from members to the national branch and the EPEA
  • To increase EPEA responsiveness to the local needs of branch members
  • To mobilise local support for national and international campaigns
  • To participate in EU-sponsored and other projects designed to share best practices and new innovations among prison educators across Europe.
  • To create a clear, co-ordinated and recognised image
How to form a branch:
  1. Arrange a meeting for as many people as possible that are interested in starting a national branch. Try to invite as wide a range of people from as large a geographical spread as possible. EPEA membership is not just for prison teacher but is open to anyone with an interest in our work. This will include policy makers, education providers, prison governors, psychology and welfare staff, researchers, etc.
  2. Elect or appoint in interim Committee to work on the setting up and organization of the branch. Download a copy of the EPEA Constitution as a basis and template for drafting a constitution for your new branch.
  3. Elect a Steering Committee for the branch. A minimum of three officers is required, e.g. Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary. Members of the local branch (ie., EPEA members in that country) must elect all Steering Committee members and all members can stand for election.
  4. Open a bank account that can be audited annually.
  5. Submit to the EPEA Steering Committee a copy of your constitution, the names of your elected officers, a list of your branch membership, bank account details (which the EPEA Treasurer can examine at any time if necessary), together with a request to become a national branch of EPEA. The EPEA Steering Committee will approve the branch at its next biannual meeting if all the criteria are fulfilled.
  6. Start to collect annual membership fees from your members. Individual and institutional annual dues for each member at the current rates should be submitted to the EPEA Treasurer as soon as possible, plus a list of all members, giving names, addresses, and email addresses when available. The list of branch members and their contact details must be copied also to the Secretary of the EPEA. You may charge a sum in excess of the EPEA fees, if you wish, in order to run your branch. The excess local branch fee must not exceed fifty per cent (50%) of the annual EPEA membership fees. When the EPEA Treasurer has received the membership fees and approval of the EPEA Steering Committee has been confirmed, the new branch will become an official national branch of EPEA.
  7. Register your branch locally.
Criteria to be fulfilled to be accepted as a national branch:
The following procedures must be adhered to before the Steering Committee of the EPEA can approve a branch –
  1. The country must have 10 members or more before they can consider forming a branch.
  2. The national branch itself cannot be an institutional member of the EPEA. The individual and institutional members of the national branch are automatically individual members of EPEA.
  3. A constitution for the branch must be drafted and agreed by the local members of the branch, and the Steering Committee of the EPEA. This constitution must reflect the ideals and aspirations of the EPEA.
  4. The local membership must elect an Executive Committee for the branch, to include a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer. An interim or provisional Committee can be formed while setting up the branch and organising the elections following written notification to all local members.
  5. Elections must be held regularly and all local members must be given the opportunity to both vote and stand for election. Notice of elections and changes to the Executive Committee membership must be sent to the Steering Committee of the EPEA.
  6. The branch must call an Annual General Meeting.
  7. The branch must provide a written report for each EPEA Steering Committee biannual meeting.
  8. The branch must open a bank account and furnish details of any funds held to the Steering Committee of the EPEA if requested.
Closed Branches:
  • EPEA Denmark
  • EPEA Malta
  • EPEA France
  • EPEA Hungary
  • SOLA Schotland

EPEA

Ireland

Irish Prison Education Association

We promote the view that education in prison is a moral right that meets a basic human need, and within this perspective, personal development is considered to be an aim, a process and a result of prison education. We believe that education in prison has the power to transform prisoners lives by enabling them understand, critique and question their previously unquestioned perceptions, assumptions and worldview. Prison education can facilitate the prisoners successful re-entry into society by cultivating the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation necessary for active citizenship.

The aims of the association are:

  • To act as a recognised branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA)
  • To promote education in prison according to the Recommendations No. R (89) 12 of the Committee of Ministers to the members states of the Council of Europe (1990)
  • To promote education in Irish prisons as set out in the Strategy Statement of the Prison Education Service 2010-2015
  • To support and assist the professional development of persons involved in education in prison
  • To act as an advocate on behalf of educators in Irish prisons
  • To support penal reform.
Executive Committee:

Chairperson: Jane Carrigan
Secretary: Edel Cunningham (Edel Scanlan)
Treasurer: Peter Doyle
Liaison Person: Eleanor Jones
Liaison Person: Michelle Ryan
Lifelong Member: Kevin Warner
EPEA Webmaster: Deirdre Brennan

Email: ipea.events@gmail.com

Other Resources:

www.pepre.ie

This website makes available writing by Kevin Warner. Kevin Warner was National Co-ordinator of Prison Education, in the Department of Justice/Irish Prison Service, 1979 – 2009. (Retired December 2009). This involved developing, in conjunction with education bodies from the community, prison education services (which had only a marginal role in prisons in 1979) so that they became by far the most substantial structured activity in which Irish prisoners participated.

Much of the material pertains to Ireland, but some is written with a European or American context in mind. A few of the items included here have been written jointly with others.

The site also contains related material written by others, as well as links to like-minded websites.

EPEA

Klasbak

Netwerk voor leren in de Gevangenis
Klasbak is the Flemish branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA). Klasbak is a network of organisations and individuals active in prison education in Flanders and Brussels.
Vision:
Society regards prisoners as full citizens and detention as a chance. Detention takes place in a stimulating environment with an innovative and sustainable learning culture. The detained person has a central position in this.
Mission:
Prison education is our starting point to:
  • initiate research
  • create vision and concepts
  • develop products co
  • creatively
  • influence policy
  • sensitize
  • inform
General Policy Plan:
  1. We develop an efficient internal organisation in order to operate sustainably.
    • We acquire financial resources
    • We enforce our administrative organisation
    • We optimize our internal and external communication
  2. We design and realize a network model to become an anchored networking organization.
    • We design a networking model and an operational model for Klasbak ambassadors
    • We realize sustainable partnerships by putting these models into practice
  3. We initiate and valorize research on prison education to improve policy and practice further.
    • We initiate innovative research on prison education
    • We disseminate and valorize research on prison education
  4. We develop clear visions and concepts on prison education to innovate and stimulate policy and practice.
    • We develop a basic vision on prison education
    • We develop thematic visions and concepts on prison education
    • We communicate directly about the developed vision and concepts to give Klasbak an identity
  5. We influence policy of governments and institutions to realize structural improvements of prison education.
    • We map our policy network and put prison education on the political agenda
    • We advise policy makers and politician and are asked for advice
  6. We sensitize society to bring attention to the topic of prison education.
    • We sensitize within prison walls on prison education
    • We sensitize without prison walls on prison education
Policy plan 2021-2023:

Klasbak was founded in 2012 as an informal network of organizations and people involved in education in prisons. In November 2015, Klasbak was recognized as the Flemish branch of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA).

In 2021, Klasbak took up the challenge to draw up a new policy plan. A plan in which they indicate how they want to work together on learning in prison in the coming years. Klasbak is primarily a network organization. It is therefore logical that this entire policy plan has its roots in their network. Since the spring of 2020, they have brought teachers, trainers, educational organizations, correctional officers, prison administrators, scientists, policymakers and government services together to build up their “impact chain”.

Klasbak is a network that works on a society in which:

  • A prisoner is seen as a full citizen.
  • Society invests in the recovery and reintegration of prisoners.
  • The detention environment is a learning environment.
  • A prisoner can put together a targeted and meaningful learning pathway that offers perspective, with a view to recovery and reintegration.
Klasbak wants to contribute to the following challenges: the prison as a “learning” environment, the bridge inside outside, participation and digitization.
  • The learning prison Klasbak strives for the prison context to be a learning environment. Not only for the inmates, but also for those who work there. The inmate is stimulated to learn in various ways, formally and informally.
  • Bridge inside outside Klasbak emphasizes reintegration. From day one of the detention, a inmate must be given the help and opportunities to prepare for a return to society. Learning is an important part of this.
  • Digitization We live in a digital society. We do everything online and we do it every day, but in Belgian prisons there is no internet access for inmates. This makes good preparation for the outside world and learning in detention more difficult.
  • Participatory prisons In the coming policy period, Klasbak aims to develop a concrete participatory process into a “participatory prison” in which the penitentiary security staff will be explicitly assigned a place. Klasbak plans to test this in 2 prisons to get concrete experiences and export them.
Members of the board:

Chairperson: Liesbeth De Donder Liesbeth.De.Donder@vub.be
Secretary: Inge Van Acker inge.van.acker@vocvo.be
Liaison Persons: Marleen Strubbe marleen.strubbe@vocvo.be and Lut Lippeveld Lut.lippeveld@deoranjerie.be
Coordinator: Bieke Deloof, bieke@klasbak.net

EPEA

APEnP Portugal

Associação Portuguesa de Educação nas Prisões

Address:

Departamento de Educação e Psicologia
Edifício do Pólo I da Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Quinta de Prados
P – 5001-801 Vila Real

Email: geral@apenp.pt

Documents:
Newsletter:

EPEA

Hellas

February 24, 2007 the EPEA Hellas was founded by 24 members and the number soon grew to about 40 and more are to join. Liason Persons and Officers were elected.

Aims:

1. The aims of the E.P.E.A. – Hellas Branch shall be:
  • To act as a recognized branch of the European Prison Education Association.
  • To promote Education in Prison according to the Recommendation No. R (89) 12 of the Committee of Ministers to member States of the Council of Europe (1989).
  • To support and assist the professional development of persons involved in Education in Prison through European co-operation.
  • To work with related professional organizations.
  • To support research in the field of Education in Prison.
  • To monitor and support the development of Prison Education in Hellas.

2. Education in Prison is defined as education provided for all persons who are under the supervision of the judiciary, whether sentenced or awaiting trial, and whether serving a sentence in prison or in the community.

3. Persons involved are defined as all those working in the field of Education in Prison and in related disciplines.

Liaison Persons:

Papadimitriou Ioannis, Anastasia Peppa

SC members:

Chairperson: Papadimitriou Ioannis
Secretary: Anastasia Peppa
Treasurer: Sofia Samara
Member: Georgios Trandas
Member: Marilena Petrogianni

EPEA

SWIPEA Switzerland

Swiss Prison Education Association

After the Swiss Institute for Education in Prison (SIEP) had already been active in Swiss prisons for more than 10 years, SWIPEA was founded in spring 2019 in order to be able to become increasingly involved at European level.

SWIPEA comprises all the staff of SIEP, which is a department of the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP) in Fribourg. SWIPEA’s activities to the present day therefore correspond to those of SIEP.

SIEP provides primary and secondary school education in 29 prisons throughout Switzerland. In about 140 learning groups, 43 teachers currently teach more than 1700 participants each year.

Annual Report of SWIPEA – Swiss Prison Education Association – 2019:

The Swiss Prison Education Association (SWIPEA) was founded at the end of January 2019 and recognized by the Steering Committee as an official branch of EPEA in March.

SWIPEA comprises all employees of the Swiss Institute for Education in Prison (SIEP) and is established as a legal entity for a dependent department within the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP). This means that the activities of SWIPEA correspond until now to those of the SIEP.

SIEP provides primary and secondary school education in 29 prisons throughout Switzerland. In about 140 learning groups, 43 teachers currently teach more than 1700 participants each year.

Particular attention is paid to the continuous education of teachers. Each year, 7 events are organised to deal with prison topics or pedagogical issues. Teachers are also given the opportunity to carry out an intervision in small groups – in the absence of their superiors.

Topics of this year were e.g. brain fair learning and solution focused competence in teaching. It took a long time to prepare the integration of SIEP into SCEPP by January 1st, 2020.

At the international level, Erasmus+ funded job shadowing was carried out with fellow teachers in Spain. 6 teachers from Switzerland attended classes in prisons in Granada and Almería, 7 teachers from Spain attended classes in 4 prisons in both German and French-speaking Switzerland.

Planning for identical job shadowing in Spain next year and job shadowing with colleagues from Austria has already begun.

In June, at the EPEA conference in Dublin, we presented our self-developed teaching aid German in Prison (or French respectively). The foreign participants learn the basic vocabulary and the key rules of conduct so that they can cope with everyday life in prison as autonomously as possible. As a result of the presentation in Dublin, the Ministry of Justice of North Rhine-Westphalia became interested in taking over the teaching material for the prison institutions there. It looks as if an adapted licensed version of the teaching material can be produced next year.

Finally, an exchange was agreed for next year with the Institute for Education in the Information Society (IBI) at the University of Berlin. The IBI was in charge of a project at the JVA Heidering in Berlin. The aim was to create a learning and communication platform within the prison facility to which the inmates could access via WLAN using specially configured tablets. The project is a complete success, such a platform with supervised access to the Internet and e-mail traffic is possible.

A similar objective, but at a simpler level, is the pilot project that SIEP intends to launch next year: to test the use of tablets with pre-installed learning software in class.

EPEA

Netherlands

On the 5th November 2010 we celebrated the official start of our Dutch EPEA branch: EPEA-NL.

For years, in Holland, the EPEA had been a group of enthusiastic, but individual members. Only few of them were (very) active members in the European point of view. We also just didn’t manage to find time to form a branch. But the members were of course individuals with an extended interest in their work, with a curiosity to learn and hear more about how matters are dealt with in other European countries.

For years, in the Netherlands, EPEA-NL had been a group of enthusiastic, but individual members. Only few of them were (very) active members from a European point of view. But the members were of course individuals with an enormous interest in their work, with a curiosity to learn and hear more about how matters are dealt with in other European countries. Now, a couple of years later, EPEA-NL is growing and more people are getting involved in prison education. Together with a couple of other organizations working with prisoners we have formed a consortium which enables us to work and learn together from a broader perspective.

Steering Committee:

Chairperson: Peter van Olmen, PvanOlmen@intermetzo.nl
Secretary: Floor Kloosterman, secretaris@epea-nl.nl
Treasurer & website: Jan Paul van Gemeren, janpaulvg@gmail.com
Member: Ed Santman, edsantman@gmail.com
Member: Annet Bakker

EPEA

Norway FOKO

History:

1982 -1984: 3 people get together and make the first attempt to form a national organisation. Lack of funding and interest – the organisation dies.

1990: The Council of Europe publishes recommendations for Prison Education. This document is translated into Norwegian and sent to all prison schools and prisons.

1992: Norwegian Ministry of Education recommends improving Prison Education

1993: EPEA is formally established

1995: Another attempt is made to establish a national Norwegian organisation: 6 people get together. A new FOKO is established with 50-60 members (out of some 240 fulltime / part-time teachers in Norway).

2003: Norway arranged the 9th EPEA Conference

Members 2018:
Aprox. 330 members. Members are Teaching Staff, Prison Staff, Probation Service Staff, Education Administrators, workers in the social welfare system, researchers and others. There are aprox 400 teachers working fulltime or part-time in Norwegian prison system.
Activities:
  • An annual conference every autumn (aprox 280 participants)
  • A closed facebook group
  • Scholarships for members
  • Political contacts
  • Lobbying
  • Media contacts
Steering committee 2018-19:

Chair: Janne Offerdal
Secretary: Paal Breivik
Treasurer: Wenche Stenersen
Lise Olafsen
Roy Høgberget
Pål Endresplass
Leif Einar Øverland