E.U. Second Chance | Rehabilitation Programmes for Former Prisoners Endorsed, by EPP Group
Channel: FedCURE
Date: 10/09/2013

European Parliament (EP) Justice Committee

~ SECOND CHANCE ~

Rehabilitation Programmes for Former Prisoners Endorsed, by EPP Group 

[03:56 video presentation] 

FedCURE Italia:   The Event of the Week on EPP TV.  Brought to you by our friends at the EPP Group and friends in the European Parliament.  1/.

In a European Parliament hearing on the rehabilitation of former prisoners organized by the EPP Group, FedCURE Italia's dear friend and Minster of European Parliament (MEP), Salvatore Iacolino (Italia), 2/  urges concrete action on rehabilitation before, during, and after the period of imprisonment.  Social integration is of significant value to the Europeans Peoples Party, but also for the prevention of prisoners--a Second Chance for redemption, for people that have made the mistake, believing they will not make another one  [02:12].   

Friend, Brother Biagio Conte, founder of Mission Hope and Charity (Palermo, Sicilia),  says rehabilitation gives dignity and hope back to the individual.  A society that leaves them alone, can not be a fair society. (02:39).

The annual cost of incarceration, per inmate, in European Union, is 70,000 EURO ($100,000 USD)  vs. $28,000, per year in the United States.   Why?  Because the EU, the penal model in rehabilitation.  Starting on the day of arrest.  Recent findings, in the UK alone have shown that inmates serving longer sentences, which allow prison services the time to tackle their criminal behavior,  have a significantly lower reoffending rates.  (03:14).

Giving a "Second Chance" to offenders is a key element to the EU social model and the EPP Group's values.  The E.U. is on the verge of a rehabilitation revolution.

Prison services across the E.U., are stretched.  In many countries prisons are full to the brim, with occupancy of 110% and rising.  More then 50% are repeat offenders.  Better solutions are being implemented, starting immediately from the time of a prisoners arrest, right through the period of imprisonment.  In the mists of a financial crisis, investing more money into helping ex-prisoners, is better spent.  There is a strong case for re-directing incarceration cost to prevention methods, including:  lifelong learning to increase an individuals chance of employment and sense of responsibility.  The question is, how far do we go?

Jonathan Lucas, Director, U.N. Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), says, the E.U.'s whole objective is social rehabilitation-- social reintegration from the very start, that "You have to follow a person.  That person going back to society.  One often forgets this."   (01:33)

Friends, Salvatore Iacolini, MEP, Italy, organized the European Union Judicial Committee's "Hearing on the Rehabilitation of former prisoners. Social integration. Second Chance policies.

Video:  Total running time: 3 minutes and 58 seconds.

(c) www.FedCURE.org 2013.  All Rights Reserved.