Restoring Hope, Ensuring Dignity, Transforming Relationships: RP in Prisons and Beyond

Vidia Negrea is a clinical psychologist and a restorative practitioner, trustee of the US-based International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) and regional representative for IIRP Europe (www.iirp.eu).

An increasing number of hierarchical institution aiming to positively influence their clients behavior recognize that a context-free intervention can induce various changes, but lessen the contribution to a meaningful life outside the system. Empowering people to articulate their needs, to initiate conversations and maintain cooperation for making things right or better in the future can influence not just the individual growth, but it can also change the communication culture of a community and even of a hierarchical institution.

After more than a decade of experiments and follow-up research, the Hungarian Crime Prevention Strategy and recent legislation changes make it possible to apply restorative practices in prison. Restorative interventions are used to handle cell conflicts, respond to crisis during imprisonment or prepare the release from prison and solution-building to sustain desistance.

The workshop will give an overview of the specific steps developed in Hungarian prisons and communities for helping prisoners, their families and host community to achieve a successful reintegration into the society, while meeting the needs of people affected by crime and imprisonment.

The model that Vidia will be sharing at her workshop includes a multi-stage process built on restorative circles and conferences, starting at the restoration of the prisoners’ self-perception and civil roles; continuing with rebuilding and strengthening ties with their family and community; extended to the restoration for the victims and the victimized community; and re-entering society as responsible and successful citizens.

Additional benefits of implementing restorative practices in prison are observed in the transformation of professionals’ attitudes and relationships toward prisoners and their family members, “humanizing” the process of incarceration and reducing the risk of radicalization.

The multi-stage restorative model developed in prison can be adapted and applied in different contexts. Vidia will share experiences from using the model in the process of social-inclusion of vulnerable groups (e.g. Romani gypsies, refugees) in schools and in communities.

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