In Flanders and Brussels, the reintegration of detainees is organized by the Flemish network "Assistance and Social Services". Within this network organization different partners work together to provide assistance and services to prisoners while focusing on a successful return to society after prison. The Justice and Enforcement Agency - Department of Assistance and Services to Prisoners - currently receives grants from the European Social Fund for Flanders (Europe WSE) for 7 projects on network organizations for prisons.
The aim of these ESF projects is to search for a way to strengthen/improve the cooperation within our network of help and services to (ex-)prisoners in and around the Flemish and Brussels prisons and to arrive at a conceptual cooperation model. The actions contribute directly and/or indirectly to the reintegration and activation opportunities of inmates. The collaboration between different partners from our network, constitutes a major asset of these projects.
The projects have been running for about 7 months and we can already share some lessons learned and commonalities from the analysis phases of the projects. We would like to give an overview and state of play of the different projects and will take a critical look at the challenges these ESF projects present.
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Tessa Heylighen
ESF Project Coordinator, Justice and Enforcement Agency, Belgium
Tessa Heylighen is ESF project coordinator in the Justice and Enforcement Agency since 2022. She is in charge of the supra-local ESF project, coordinates project activities and ensures connection between all ongoing projects. She previously worked for 4 years in forensic youth psychiatry and as internship coordinator at the University of Leuven. Tessa is a criminologist.
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Anke Verlaenen
Policy Officer, Justice and Enforcement Agency, Belgium
Anke Verlaenen is a criminologist and has been working as a policy officer Assistance and Social Services for Prisoners with the Flemish Government since 2008. She is involved in the supralocal coordination of the network, e.g. the implementation and monitoring of the Strategic Plan for Help and Services to Prisoners (2020-2025).