EuroPris Special Edition Newsletter on Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation

Words from the FNPP Coordinator

Every second year the EuroPris & CEP Expert Group on Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation holds a workshop to keep stakeholders updated on policy and operational initiatives and research. Our next workshop will be in 2018. Since there are so many developments happening in the area of foreign offenders and prisoners, the Expert Group initiated the launch of a Special Newsletter in between workshops, to keep you posted about ongoing projects and initiatives in policy and operational practice. Nick Hammond nickhammond@europris.org

Featured Article 1: Muslim prisoners through a global lens

Hindpal Singh Bhui

How do wider narratives about migration, Muslims and security affect prison policy and the experiences of Muslim prisoners? Muslims are increasingly over-represented in prisons and detention centres across the world and in Europe today. At the same time, it appears virtually impossible to create a practical or conceptual division between the perceived threat from migration and from Islamist terrorism. Following the attacks on Paris in November 2015, it was discovered that the known attackers were nearly all EU citizens. However, media and politicians called for tougher controls on migration into Europe as a way of responding to such threats.  Read More

Featured Article 2: Foreign National Prisoners in Belgium: context, developments and projects

Steven de Ridder, Lana De Pelecijn, Flore Croux, An-Sofie Vanhouche and Dorien Brosens

The number of foreign national prisoners in Belgium has increased from 25 to 40 percent in 35 years. Compared to the European average of 23 percent, Belgium has a substantially higher rate of FNPs. Foreign national prisoners are more vulnerable than national prisoners. Alongside the deprivations all prisoners face during detention, foreign national prisoners in particular experience a number of additional problems such as language problems, difficulties in maintaining family contact and uncertainties about their immigration status.    In this article Steven de Ridder and his colleagues investigate the context and development in the field and present four projects focusing on FNPs in Belgium. Read More

Save the date! Final FORINER Conference on 28 November 2017 in Brussels

If you want to know more about the FORINER project, come to our final conference on 28 November in Brussels, Belgium. Read more

Results from pilots in the FORINER project Bianca Durkovics and Dorien Brosens “I’ve been responsible for one group of Lithuanian students and I noticed a great enthusiasm to start with the courses at the beginning. They (these prisoners) were very grateful that someone out there in Lithuania was thinking of them. They were actually waiting for the learning materials and asking me for more.” These are the words of an Education Coordinator in Antwerp, Belgium, being part of the FORINER project that is now coming to an end. This project aims to provide foreign national prisoners access to education that is provided by their home country, while they are imprisoned in a foreign European country. 15 pilot studies have been evaluated and results will be presented on the final conference in November. Get a preview of the results here.

Framework decisions facilitate transfer of sentences across Europe Marjolein Groot EU Framework Decisions make it possible to transfer prison sentences and conditional sanctions within the EU. This allows offenders to rehabilitate in the country where they live, work and have their social ties. The Netherlands are leading in transferring measures and the Dutch Probation Service calls for more cooperation to ease transfer processes. Read more

Prison Volunteers; a neglected resource for foreign prisoners? Nick Hammond, Maryvonne de Vitton and Anne-Marie Klopp There is considerable untapped potential for volunteers to work with FNP´s, an often isolated and neglected prisoner group. Well trained and supported volunteers, recruited from diverse communities, could assist the successful resettlement and rehabilitation work of prison and probation services as well as support and alleviate the isolation and problems many foreign prisoners are facing. This matter was highlighted on a seminar on prison volunteers held in Strasbourg in May. Read more

Preventing “criminal tourism” in Schengen member states Geert Verbauwhede Since many years the Belgian Immigration Office is confronted with imprisoned foreign national offenders with third country nationality having a residence permit in another EU Member or a European Economic Area state (EEA). These persons can only receive an entry ban limited to Belgium since their right to freedom of movement having a permit in the other member states. As there are no border controls within Schengen, such a national entry ban can easily be circumvented. Read more

Specialist Unit for Foreign Prisoners in a new Danish Prison Henrik Bonde Marker In Denmark a brand new prison is opening in November 2017. One of the first units opening is a departure ward with foreign inmates. The inmates are transferred from another closed prison – Nyborg Prison that today contains 2 departure units. After the transfer the three largest closed prisons in Denmark will have departure wards specializing in the work with foreigners and preparing them for departure after serving their sentence.  Read more

Picture it in Prison – an aid to assist foreign prisoners Femke Hofstee This pocket-size picture dictionary has been developed by PrisonWatch for foreign national prisoners and prison staff to overcome language obstacles. Picture it in Prison consists of over 500 pictures and translations of basic words and sentences in twenty frequently spoken languages in prison. The booklet has been piloted in several British prisons. Based on the results of this pilot, PrisonWatch developed a tailor-made booklet for the British Prison Service (HMPPS). This special UK-version includes translations of twenty-seven different languages. It further consists of two sizes, one for prisoners and a bigger size for prison staff. Read more at  www.prisonwatch.org

Contributions sought for inclusion - Good Practice Manual for working with Foreign Prisoners Nick Hammond To promote the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Recommendations concerning foreign prisoners CM/Rec (2012) 12, the EuroPris & CEP Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation Expert Group is collecting examples of how European prison and probation services are meeting the needs of foreign prisoners and foreign offenders in policy and operational practice.  Read more

Transforming language disabilities into resources - the RiUscire project Vincenzo Picozzi Demonstrate that it is possible to take advantage of the interlingual and intercultural dimension of the prison context and transforming it into resources, emancipation and re-education. This was the purpose of the transnational conference Foreign national inmates and prison systems: issues, resources and perspectives on 26-27 May at the Università per Stranieri di Siena in Italy. The conference marked the end of the RiUscire project - winner of the European Language Label. Training courses for foreign detainees, prison staff and teachers working in prisons are of great importance for fostering the coexistence of languages and cultures in prisons. Read more

Call for cooperation - New Dutch initiative in educational provision for Foreign National Prisoners Frans Lemmers The Dutch Education Behind Foreign Prison Bars Foundation is organising remote education for Dutch people in prisons abroad. Every year, some 250 Dutch detainees receive education that is in line with their backgrounds and their possibilities. The Foundation now looks for further cooperation to make education material available for FNPs in Dutch prisons as well. Read more

Supporting Italian Prisoners Abroad Luisa Ravagnani and Nicoletta Policek Since 2013 the Italian Prison and Society Association (Associazione Carcere e Territorio Onlus) has been working on a project in favour of Italians who are detained abroad, with the aim to provide them support. Taking advantage of the experience of London-based Prisoners Abroad and from a number of best practices made available by the EuroPris/CEP FNPP network. The most important actions and outcomes of this project are presented in the “Italian Prisoners Abroad” paper. Read more

Supporting Dutch Prisoners Abroad  Marjolein Groot The International Office of the Dutch Probation Service has developed several new products to support Dutch prisoners abroad. The main objectives were to stimulate independence and self-confidence of prisoners, to limit the damage, caused by the detention and to keep the home front involved. The first feedback we received was very positive. Prisoners find it practical and very useful in (re)gaining control on their lives. Volunteers are enthusiastic because they can use it during their prison visits. Most of these products are distributed to Dutch prisoners all over the world. The leaflet available here will tell you more about the care activities the International Office (Bureau Buitenland) is now deploying.

Legal delay in Irish Prisoners being transferred into Ireland Catheryn Kenny No repatriations of Irish citizens abroad have been completed since January 2016. There are currently 33 applications from Irish prisoners abroad wishing to transfer their sentence to this country with some of these applicants waiting for several years for their application to be processed. The current impasse is causing considerable hardship for prisoners and in particular, for their families, many of whom are not in a position to visit their loved ones in prison.  Read more

Are probation services in Europe failing foreign offenders?  Nick Hammond The over-representation of foreign nationals in many European prison services is well known. There are 2.4 times more foreigners in European prisons than in the general population. What has received limited attention, and less action, is how much this disproportionality may be down to a lack of use of non-custodial, community based sanctions. My hypothesis is that foreign offenders do not receive equal access to community sanctions which poses important questions for probation services in Europe.  Read more

A Difference that Makes a Difference - Researcher Effects in an All-Foreign Prison Dorina Damsa and Thomas Ugelvik Prisons are described as systems of positions and rules within more or less rigidly defined hierarchies. Researchers entering the institution are, thus, somewhat of an oddity, neither prisoner nor officer, yet no part of this system. They must carve a space for themselves through continuous negotiation. Having conducted research at the same site – the all foreign nationals prison at Kongsvinger, Norway – in this article, we reflect on our field persona and position and the possible ways this impacts the data collection process and the findings.  Read more

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