Development of work skills of prisoners for a new chance in life

The raison d'être of the programme which is carried out by the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia is to develop and implement various rehabilitation programmes for prisoners to prepare them for their reintegration into society upon release. This is done through education and training programmes and occupational therapy which strengthen prisoners' resolve by teaching them vocational skills which they can practice in work schemes during their sentence, and which can help them find work upon their release. Importantly, the skills gained increase their employability and offer them better work prospects, which helps diminish the risk of re-offending and another incarceration for ex-prisoners once they are out of prison. Through education programmes, prisoners acquire a formal qualification or certification and gain vocational skills and competences that give them a better chance of obtaining employment on release, offer them better work prospects and ensure self-reliance and economic independence without them having to request social assistance. 

The rehabilitation programme has already reached out to 894 prisoners. Many prisoners followed training programmes allowing them to obtain national vocational qualifications with a special focus on so-called shortage occupations (occupations in short supply of workers). An individual prisoner can follow different activities within a rehabilitation project, e.g. occupational therapy, education programme and training programme (national vocational qualification).   

One particular rehabilitation project involved female prisoners who each sewed a quiet book for children by using different fabrics. Ingrid, one of the prisoners said on the occasion of product showcase that ‘’as part of our occupational therapy programme, we decided to make this quiet book for kids, and each one of us put so many love into creating it. The project helped us discover skills we did not even know we had!”  

PHOTO: Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia