EU Elections 2024: Pledge Support for the European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing

Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) is asking election candidates running in the European Parliament elections to pledge to support the European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing - a just, sustainable, and community-integrated alternative to large prisons.

The European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing is an alternative to the traditional and existing model of large, institutional, imprisonment, with the goal of supporting community reintegration and reducing recidivism. Small-scale detention is a key agenda item of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024, with an aim to adopt EU Council Conclusions on small-scale detention by June 2024.

You can show your support for Small-Scale Detention Housing by sharing this pledge on your social media.

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EU ELECTION PLEDGE

Support the European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing: A just, sustainable, and community-integrated alternative to large prisons.

Pledge

Commit to support the European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing, by:

• Promote small-scale, differentiated, and community-integrated detention houses to:
  • better protect human rights in the criminal justice system;
  • vindicate the rights of families by providing a safe and appropriate environment for family contact; and
  • increase opportunities for education and employment and reach targets in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action.

Context

The European Movement for Small-Scale Detention Housing is an alternative to the traditional and existing model of large, institutional, imprisonment, to support community reintegration and reduce recidivism.

Characteristics of scaled-down detention housing include the following:

• Small-scale; to house between 8-30 people which results in better relationships and more trust between people in detention and staff.
• ‘Differentiation’; this refers to matching both the security level and programmes (education, work and counselling) to the needs of the individuals.
• Community integrated; the intent is for people in the detention house to interact with the wider community, e.g., to make use of services available in the community, ensure continuity of service on release and that the detention house provides a communal or shared space accessible to the wider community for events for example.

Small-scale detention housing offers evident benefits to better safeguard the rights protected by European policies in the areas of justice, employment, education, health and well-being and social inclusion. Upholding human rights principles is essential for fostering trust in the justice system, promoting social cohesion, and upholding the dignity of all individuals.

Considering the successful experience of existing small-scale, differentiated and community-integrated facilities in various Member States, such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (see here for many examples across Europe) - and the opportunities these facilities provide to contribute to safer and more inclusive societies - now is the time to build on these successes across Europe. Now is the time to reimagine ‘prison’ and its use as a solution to various social issues, and instead support and promote small-scale detention housing for everyone’s benefit.

Small-scale detention is a key agenda item of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024, with an aim to adopt EU Council Conclusions on small-scale detention by June 2024. The European Symposium on small-scale detention was hosted under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency on 21 March 2024.

For further information, contact Dr. Helen Kehoe, IPRT Legal and Public Affairs Manager at hkehoe@iprt.ie.