“Strong leadership, mentorship, and dedication from those within the justice system, including correctional officers, can serve as the backbone of rehabilitation efforts, ensuring individuals leave prison more prepared to re-enter society.”

– Eric Holder (Former Secretary-General of the United Nations)

Champions Community

Champions Community

Project Overview

The Champions Community project aims to tackle the complex challenges faced by prison staff by identifying and supporting leading Prison Middle Managers (PMMs) as Champions in three selected European countries. This initiative, led by Richtungswechsel in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Lewis and Grow Transform Belong CIC, focuses on building a leadership community to enhance prison staff culture and strengthen the connection between prisons, detention houses, and the community. The project seeks to foster collaboration through effective multidisciplinary work, thereby improving job satisfaction, promoting a participatory culture, and enhancing legitimacy.

Vision

The Champions Community project envisions a transformative shift in European prison systems towards a more humane and effective environment for both incarcerated individuals and staff. The long-term societal change aspired to is a comprehensive cultural transformation within detention settings that prioritizes staff well-being, reduces recidivism rates, and enhances the (re)integration prospects for formerly incarcerated individuals. This vision includes the establishment of a resilient European network of professionals dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation in correctional practices.

Geographical Area

The project will span three European countries, selected based on their potential to contribute effectively to the initiative. The inception phase will involve engaging with governmental, prison service, and NGO partners to form a specialized international culture taskforce. Criteria for country selection will include strong partnership opportunities with local NGOs dedicated to advancing staff culture and capacity.

Target Groups

Ultimate Beneficiaries:
All staff, service leaders, incarcerated individuals, families, and the broader community, benefiting from an improved detention culture and social integration.

Direct Beneficiaries:
Champions, their colleagues, mentors, and trainers who will receive leadership development and training to drive cultural change.

Indirect Beneficiaries:
Other prison staff who will benefit from the positive changes fostered by the Champions, serving as inspiration for professional development within the detention system.

Project Activities

The project consists of multiple stages designed to cultivate a culture of growth within detention facilities:

Stage 0: Preparation
Identification of objectives, mentor needs, and initial recruitment of mentors and champions.

Stage 1: Assessing Culture
Participants will undergo residential training focusing on current prison culture and future-oriented practices, complemented by prison visits and ongoing mentorship.

Stage 2: Implementing Change
A second residential training phase will focus on culture change strategies, reinforced by continued mentorship and progress check-ins.

Stage 3: Maintaining A Culture Of Growth
Training sessions and prison visits will sustain growth practices, culminating in a final summit for knowledge sharing and documentation of insights.

Stage 4: Evaluation
A follow-up evaluation will assess the project’s impact, refine strategies, and foster knowledge dissemination among participants.

The Impact

Champions: Empowerment through leadership development and mentorship.

Incarcerated Individuals: Improved environment leading to higher chances of successful (re)integration.

Other Prison Staff: Enhanced work environment, reduced occupational stress, and improved job satisfaction.

Mentors and Trainers: Opportunities to share their expertise while gaining valuable experience.

Building a European-Wide Community

A fundamental aspect of the Champions Community project is the creation of a European-wide network of detention professionals. By leveraging existing networks such as EPTA and collaborating with organisations like ICPA and other organisations in the leadership development space, the project aims to create a sustainable platform for continuous learning and systemic change across the European correctional landscape. This community will actively engage with members of the RESCALED movement, co-creating staff development and cultural enhancement initiatives across the detention landscape.

OUR NETWORK

The project is lead by Richtungswechsel as project coordinators and GTB – CIC as partners. Additionally, we will engage a range of stakeholders, including:

  • Academic Institutions: Collaborating for research and evaluation.
  • NGOs: Co-creation with experts like the Scandinavian Prison Project Consortium and SmartCorrections for resource sharing and support.
  • Local Experts: Involvement from local NGOs for mentorship and implementation guidance.
  • Consortium and Expertise: Integration with other initiatives in the staff training space and its members to ensure alignment with transformative goals in detention systems.

Grow Transform Belong

Grow Transform Belong (GTB) is a Community Interest Company focused on empowering people and organizations to grow and connect. With a vision of building an inclusive, safe community, GTB unites like-minded individuals to create a collective impact.

GTB works in schools, prisons, and communities with three main priorities:

  1. Raising awareness and providing tailored projects and training for those in need.
  2. Connecting passionate individuals for a collaborative approach to social justice.
  3. Measuring collective impact through the Growth Alliance, emphasizing relationship-centered work.

Through events and campaigns, GTB highlights social justice issues and offers membership services to unite people and organizations for positive change. Its Growth Projects in education and criminal justice focus on transforming organizational culture and solving challenges.

GTB collaborates with service users and staff to find sustainable solutions, continuously learning and improving through research. By partnering with Growth Alliance members, GTB fosters collaboration over competition, working towards lasting social change.

Contact

For further information or to participate in future workshops, feel free to contact us via:


Email:

champions@richtungswechsel.or.at

and

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn

Contact

For further information or to participate in future workshops, feel free to contact us via:


Email:

champions@richtungswechsel.or.at

and

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn

Champions Community Updates: News and Insights

The Champions Community: Launching in 2025!

🇬🇧
🚀 Exciting News Coming Soon! 🚀

Get ready for something big! We’re thrilled to announce that in 2025, something special is set to launch together with our dear colleagues at @growtransformbelong:
The Champions Community 🌟

✨ This project is all about growth, community, and people, all while keeping justice at its heart. 🤝💚

Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to revealing what we’ve been working on. 🇦🇹
🚀 Spannende Neuigkeiten kommen bald! 🚀

Macht euch bereit für etwas Großes! Wir freuen uns, ankündigen zu dürfen, dass im Jahr 2025 etwas ganz Besonderes gemeinsam mit unseren lieben Kolleg:innen von @growtransformbelong starten wird:
🌟Die Champions Community

Dieses Projekt dreht sich um Wachstum, Gemeinschaft und Menschen, während Gerechtigkeit immer im Mittelpunkt steht. 🤝💚

Bleibt dran für weitere Details, während wir uns der Enthüllung unserer Arbeit nähern.

#ChampionsCommunity #Coming2025 #Growth #Community #Justice #StayTuned #growtransformbelong #richtungswechsel🚀

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Supported by Porticus. Porticus is a philanthropic organisation that aims to create a just and sustainable future where human dignity flourishes. However the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Porticus.
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