Description:
The HOPE (Holistic Outreach for (former) Prisoner and Employee Mental Health) project, funded by Erasmus+, aims to empower grassroots actors in the criminal justice system to adapt, implement, and evaluate inclusive and sustainable mental health and wellbeing practices within their justice settings.
The project addresses the critical burden of mental health issues in justice settings, which places an unprecedented strain on prisoners, former prisoners, prison staff, and volunteers. By utilizing a holistic and bottom-up framework, HOPE bridges the gap between theory, practice, and policy, turning prison mental health reform into a long-term priority.
Activities:
- Participatory Needs Assessment: Conducting focus groups with stakeholders using the WHO “Free Listing” methodology to map out current mental health gaps and resources directly from inmates, staff, and volunteers.
- Capacity Building & Mobility: A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) session in Greece to upskill practitioners and facilitate transnational knowledge transfer.
- Grassroots Piloting: Delivering sustainable mental health pilots within real-world prison and probation settings.
- Public Advocacy & Policy Engagement: Organizing a final conference in Bremen, localized national multiplier events, and an awareness campaign aligned with International Mental Health Day.
Results:
- HOPE Practical Guidelines: A strategic guide establishing the methodology to effectively design, deliver, and adapt tailored mental health and well-being initiatives within the unique and demanding constraints of correctional environments.
- Evidence-Based Evaluation Toolkit: A comprehensive framework of scientifically validated indicators and assessment tools, enabling practitioners and stakeholders to accurately measure the impact and effectiveness of mental health interventions based on concrete data.
- Short-Form Video Training Course: A modern, 4-module asynchronous learning program designed to make the Evaluation Toolkit highly accessible and easily operational for frontline prison staff and professionals.
- Four (4) Mental Health Pilot Plans: The practical blueprint and localized implementation strategies used to deploy and test these mental health initiatives across four distinct European justice jurisdictions: Germany, Romania, Italy, and Greece.
- HOPE Handbook on Holistic Adaptation and Evaluation: A comprehensive publication consolidating critical findings, empirical data, and best practices derived from the pilot implementations to serve as a step-by-step replication guide for other institutions.
- Searchable Online Matrix: A dynamic, user-friendly digital database mapping identified mental health needs against available grassroots resources, hosted publicly on the European LiberateSkills platform to facilitate cross-border knowledge sharing.
Partners:
- Hoppenbank e.V., Germany (Coordinator)
- Interchange, Germany
- CPIP, Romania
- Penitenciarul Oradea, Romania
- Athens Lifelong Learning Institute, Greece
- EUTHRIVE IMPRESA SOCIALE SRL, Italy
More Information
Date of the Project:
01.11.2025 - 31.10.2027
Funding programme:
ERASMUS+, Key Action: KA220-ADU
Tags:
Erasmus+, Adult Education, Mental Health, Prison Staff Training, Social Inclusion, Criminal Justice
Contact:
spanagiotou@athenslifelonglearning.gr