Halfway house opened in Šiauliai
With a particular focus on regions, the network of halfway houses continues to expand: a halfway house for inmates was opened in Šiauliai. The special unit of the Lithuanian Prison Service in Šiauliai Prison is the sixth in the country where inmates will be intensively prepared for their release.
The Halfway House in Šiauliai has opened its doors in a building taken over from Turto bankas, where a total of twenty male and female inmates may be accommodated at a time. The aim is to ensure that individuals could reintegrate into society by being closer to their place of residence, families and workplaces.
“Today we’ve opened the door of the sixth halfway house. This is the most successful model for serving sentences, with new and effective methods of resocialisation to facilitate individuals return to society. Both the foreign experience and the experience we have already gained in Lithuania show that halfway houses, as an intermediate stop between imprisonment and freedom, create a effective environment for resocialisation, which in the long run leads to a reduction in reoffending,” - at the opening ceremony, highlighted Ewelina Dobrowolska, Minister of Justice.
“Halfway houses are one of the most successful best practice projects adopted from the Kingdom of Norway to prepare former offenders for a life outside and to provide them with home-like environment. We are pleased that more and more such places are being established to improve the likelihood offormer offenders’ successful reintegration,” - said Virginijus Kulikauskas, the Director General of Lithuanian Prison Service.
3 social workers will work at Šiauliai Halfway House, who will assist inmates to plan their weekly routines and tasks, employment activities, appointments, leaves from the halfway house, provide counselling, and various social assistance. Psychologists from Šiauliai Prison, representatives of NGOs and volunteers will also come and provide counselling to the inmates. The supervision of inmates will be carried out by officers of the Security Management Unit of Šiauliai Prison.
The purpose of a halfway house is to provide intensive pre-release preparation for inmates.
Inmates in halfway houses may use money without restrictions, buy their own food, clothing, footwear and hygiene products. At weekends, they may go home or visit family.
Total cost of Šiauliai halfway house was over 337K EUR. The financing was allocated within the context of the Project Development of Quality Based Lithuanian Correctional Service System(PDP 3) implemented under the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms programme Justice and Home Affairs 2014-2021.
5 halfway houses are already operating in Alytus, Marijampolė, Vilnius, Pravieniškės and Panevėžys.
Last updated: 24-04-2024
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