Languages Behing Bars
Multi-lingual, cross-cultural learning programme that incorporates not only the education of offenders on prison-communication and cross-cultural awareness, but also the education and certification of prison staff.
LBB aims to:
- Promote communication and interaction in a common language in a prison setting;
- Facilitate more effective rehabilitation of foreign national offenders;
- Provide skills to help improve integration into society and the work-force after release;
- Engage prison staff in offenders’ education programmes
The main activities of the LBB project include the following:
- Comprehensive desk research in which the current state of prison education and prison staff training, European and national policy, and the results of previous prison education projects are investigated.
- Developing, piloting and evaluating a cross-cultural prison communication programme for prison staff and foreign national offenders using a mix of classroom instruction, ICT and workbook-based activities.
- Establishing assessment and accreditation methods for the certification of foreign language and intercultural competences of prison officers working with foreign-national offenders, setting new European benchmark standards.
- An inter-prison language and cultural written exchange to help inmates practice language skills and reflect on their own cultures, in which prison staff take an active and encouraging role.
- Producing a good practice guide for enhancing communication between prison staff and foreign national offenders.
- Six partner institutions from six European countries.
- Project coordination: die Berater, Vienna, Austria
- Funded by the European Lifelong Learning Programme Grundtvig
- Duration: 10/12 – 09/14
For further information: LBB_flyer
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.