RE[ENTER]

Project Name: RE[ENTER] – Sharing European Good Practices for Effective Prison Rehabilitation

Summary RE[ENTER] is a 30-month transnational Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership for Adult Education focused on improving rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders across Europe. Coordinated by Freedom Gate Greece, the project identifies, shares, and promotes successful psycho-educational and vocational practices in prison and post-prison contexts. The initiative strengthens the capacity of professionals and volunteers working in corrections by training them in effective methodologies, tools and ethics, ultimately aiming to reduce recidivism and foster inclusive societies.

Main Objectives

• Map and exchange good practices in psycho-educational and vocational prison interventions
• Train staff, volunteers, and operators on working with inmates, ex-offenders and their families
• Enhance practical skills in rehabilitation, emotional awareness, and conflict management
• Address core issues in prison education such as diversity, radicalization, stigmatization, and burnout
• Promote ethical standards and dynamic security approaches
• Build long-term capacity among justice stakeholders across Europe

Target Groups

• Correctional professionals and volunteers
• NGO workers engaging with inmates or ex-offenders
• Educators, psychologists, facilitators in prison or probation contexts
• Indirect beneficiaries: inmates, ex-inmates, and families

Key Activities & Methodology

• Review and analysis of promising practices and successful interventions from partner countries
• Creation of a detailed manual compiling methodologies across 3 thematic pillars:
• Psycho-social theory and contextual issues (e.g. prisonization, stigma, diversity)
• Practical tools and structured workshops (e.g. moral dilemmas, vocational counselling, movement-based therapy)
• Rehabilitation programs (e.g. sport, education, animal-assisted therapy, restorative justice)
• Development and implementation of training programs using experiential, multidisciplinary, and evidence-based approaches
• Piloting activities and structured dissemination workshops and conferences
• Evaluation and adaptation of tools for broader EU application

Project Partners

• Freedom Gate Greece – Coordinator
• UISP Ciriè Settimo Chivasso – Community sport and rehabilitation
• Silta-Valmennusyhdistys ry (Finland) – Psycho-social coaching and reintegration pathways
• Asociația Sportul Pentru Toți Suceava & European Strategies Consulting – Vocational integration and offender support
• Fundación Diagrama Intervención Psicosocial – Reinsertion methodologies
• Citizens in Power – Educational design and movement-based awareness
• IPS Innovative Prison Systems – Dissemination and technical coordination
• University of Thessaly & CNR IRCRES – Scientific supervision and publication support

Implementation Period

• September 2018 – April 2021
• Training, manual drafting, conferences and evaluations across partner countries

Funding & Support

• Co-funded by Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnerships in Adult Education
• Total duration: 30 months
• Supported by national prison administrations, probation services, universities and NGOs

Legacy & Impact RE[ENTER] produced one of the most comprehensive European manuals on psycho-educational prison interventions, bringing together theory, ethics, and practice across 20 chapters. By creating practical resources and training 450+ professionals and volunteers, the project has contributed to reshaping approaches to inmate rehabilitation, building a Europe-wide community of shared values and practices in corrections. Its outputs continue to support prison reform, staff development, and vulnerable inmates across borders.