Project
Background

In increasingly multi-ethnic correctional settings, where the management of cultural diversity has become a priority issue, prison staff play a crucial role to ensure human rights protection and fair treatment of inmates, preventing scenes of radicalization and extremism.

The difficulties encountered by prison staff in dealing with foreign inmates and in meeting their special needs can be reduced by providing specific skills and competences related to human rights.

Goals
B-Competent will contribute to the effective and coherent implementation of EU laws and international standards with regard to the protection of foreign prisoners’ rights by:
detecting training gaps of prison staff, with specific regard to foreign inmates’ rights protection;
improving knowledge and awareness among trainers and prison civilian staff about national/EU laws and practices, regional and international human rights law, CoE standards focused on the treatment of ethnic minorities in prison;
developing a standardized training methodology, designed to provide prison civilian staff with a set of juridical and operational skills to deal with foreign prisoners;
equipping prison staff trainers with integrated multidisciplinary competencies on cultural mediation, psychological, ethic, sociological and security-related aspects concerning the treatment of foreign prisoners.

Are you a Prison Staff member?

Join our training needs assessment survey

You will help us detect training gaps with regard to the protection of human rights in penitentiary settings

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Which benefits will B-Competent offer?
01
Increased knowledge and understanding of the training gaps among prison front-line civilian staff, related to human rights protection in penitentiary settings
02
Best practices related to the enhancement of human rights protection in prisons identified and disseminated in the 6 countries involved in the project and at the EU level
03
Concerned professionals trained and provided with practical tools on human rights protection in prison, with a special focus on foreign inmates’ rights
04
Prison front-line civilian staff equipped with valuable resources and practical tools to support their daily work in multi-ethnic correctional settings
05
Enhanced harmonization of training standards on human rights for prison civilian staff among the EU countries and the 2 targeted pre-accession countries (Albania and Montenegro)
The project is expected to deliver the following outcomes:
Training needs assessment
extensive research through surveys, focus groups and desk analysis
Train-the-trainers program
e-learning course and cross-border workshops designed to build capacity of trainers to properly train civilian prison staff
Multilingual training tools
online interactive exercises and educational games for prison civilian staff
Animated video
case scenarios offering useful insights into correct treatment of foreign inmates in multicultural penitentiary settings
Synergies with other EU-funded projects
In order for B-COMPETENT to achieve the objectives envisaged by the project, joint measures and synergies with different projects and initiatives are necessary, as they yield an exceptionally high added value for the protection of human rights and the development of safer and more inclusive prison systems
R4JUST PO21
Partnership
B-COMPETENT is implemented by a Consortium of trans-disciplinary Partners from Albania, Italy and Spain:
Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Universitat de Barcelona OSPDH European Centre AVOKATI I POPULLIT Antigone Onlus Bosch i Gimpera Foundation Prodos Consulting
Supporting Organizations
The active support of justice authorities and EU network organizations will contribute to effectively
building a community of practice for the enhancement of human rights in prisons:
EPTA Europris Garante Diritti Detenuti Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen Ministero della Giustizia YIHR Nessuno Tocchi Caino ICPA - International Corrections & Prisons Association EPEA - European Prison Education Association BSAFE LAB
Project Team
B-Competent project team