European Report on Prisoner Reintegration through Entrepreneurship and Psychology

Abstract

It has been well documented that reintegration into the workforce is a key factor in reducing recidivism amongst people with a criminal record. However, mainstream employment poses a challenge for many individuals with criminal histories who experience discrimination from prospective employers. Entrepreneurship or self-employment offers an alternative pathway into the labour market but it is not widely promoted as a viable career option. In recent years, in-prison entrepreneurship education programmes (particularly in the USA) have grown in prominence to offer participants another option in terms of future labour market activation. Despite the recorded success of these initiatives, the adoption of such programmes within Europe is not widespread. The aim of this report is to provide evidence-based analysis and recommendations for the piloting of an e-learning entrepreneurship education programme developed under PREP (Prisoner Reintegration through Entrepreneurship and Psychology) which is an EU Erasmus+ funded project. The report covers the criminal justice systems across three national contexts – Ireland, Germany and Romania. The data for the findings and recommendations derive from a literature review of the key academic fields and country-level interviews conducted with justice-impacted individuals and key informants across the criminal justice systems.