Innovative models to integrate learning and ... - EACEA - Europa

“KEYS” – Innovative models to integrate learning 

and working in adult prisons 

Progress Report 

Public Part 

504508-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

“KEYS” – Innovative models to integrate learning and working in adult prisons 

Project information 

Project acronym: 

Project title: 

Project number: 

KEYS 

Innovative models to integrate learning and working 

in adult prisons 

504508-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-GRUNDTVIG-GMP 

2009-3664/01-001 

Sub-programme or KA: 

Project website: 

Grundtvig Multilateral Project 

http://www.keys.fczb.de/ 

Reporting period: From 01/11/09 

To 31/10/10 

Report version: 1 

Date of preparation: 08/11/2010 

Beneficiary organisation: 

FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin e.V. 

Project coordinator: 

Irina Meyer 

Project coordinator organisation: FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin e.V. 

Project coordinator telephone number: ++49 30 6179700 

Project coordinator email address: meyer@fczb.de 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. 

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission 

cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained 

therein. 

© 2009 Copyright Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency. 

The document may be freely copied and distributed provided that no modifications are made, that the 

source is acknowledged and that this copyright notice is included. 

504508-LLP-1-2009-1-DE-GRUNDTVIG-GMP 2 / 16


Executive Summary 

With the project „KEYS“, it is intended to develop educational concepts and structural 

approaches strengthening the competences of adult prisoners. Whereas the focal 

point is on offenders working in prison, the project targets not only at prisoners but 

also at prison staff and decision makers in prisons as well as justice administrations. 

“KEYS” covers prisons for both male and female offenders. Eight partner 

organisations from six countries participate in the project consortium which is divided 

into a development and a review group. Through the connection between 

development activities and a review process, innovative educational models for 

working prisoners will be developed accordingly to the respective penal system. The 

particular needs and individual situation of male and female prisoners are thereby 

taken into account. 

The development group exemplarily develops and implements selected models in 

four prisons. Among others, this includes: 

• The development of models for an individualised planning of education and 

training in prison, 

• the development of educational modules for working prisoners (e.g. moduleoriented 

curricula), 

• the development of models for the integration of learning into the working 

process (e.g. media-supported self learning materials) and 

• the integration of prison services into competence development processes 

The results gathered by the development group are reviewed, exchanged between 

all partners and systematically tested in the prisons represented in the consortium. 

Being closely accompanied by the project evaluation, this process will finally lead to a 

description of the transferability of different models within the European prison 

system. The dissemination strategy is directed towards decision makers in penal 

institutions and in justice authorities as well as towards transnational networks on 

prison education. 

Based on a preceding survey concerning the structural, legal and institutional 

framework in all countries, during the first twelve months of the project, a broad range 

of models, instruments and approaches has been developed and presented within 

the project consortium. A needs analysis in four prisons undertaken by the members 

of the development group served for the specification of measures supporting the 

educational participation of prisoners. Prison staff and decision makers in prisons 

were integrated both in the development of these models as well as in the recently 

started implementation of selected approaches. A project website was launched 

providing information about the project’s background, objectives and contents: 

http://www.keys.fczb.de/. 

During the forthcoming year of the project, both the development and the review 

process will be continued. The results will be not only compiled in a handbook on 

adult education in prison but also disseminated on a regional, national and European 

level. 



Table of Contents 

1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES .................................................................................... 5 

2. PROJECT APPROACH ...................................................................................... 6 

3. PROJECT OUTCOMES & RESULTS ............................................................... 12 

4. PARTNERSHIPS .............................................................................................. 13 

5. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE .............................................................................. 14 

6. CONTRIBUTION TO EU POLICIES ................................................................. 15 



1. Project Objectives 

The project is targeted at an increased educational participation of the marginalised 

group of prisoners. This group is characterised by educational achievements below 

average, by special educational and therapeutic needs as well as by a 

disadvantaged socio-economic background. A transversal objective of KEYS is the 

implementation of gender mainstreaming into all phases and activities of the project. 

Furthermore, specific approaches meeting the needs of female or male prisoners are 

developed. 

With the project it is intended to provide prisoners with the opportunity to increase 

both their knowledge and their competences through learning. Thus their chances for 

reintegration into society after release will be improved as well as they will be 

encouraged in their efforts to live an autonomous life without crime. 

Moreover, in terms of lifelong learning, adult prisoners are mostly excluded from 

existing provisions in this field. Through the development and implementation of 

innovative educational concepts and tools accordingly to their needs, KEYS will 

substantially contribute to an increased participation of prisoners in lifelong learning. 

Educational concepts and structural approaches dedicated to the support of manifold 

formal, non-formal and informal competence development processes of adult 

prisoners working in prison will be developed. A particular focus is on the 

development of models combining both working and learning. Not only educational 

provisions being directly integrated into the working processes will be developed and 

piloted but also models which might be organized parallel or alternately to existing 

work provisions in prison. 

Moreover, it is aimed 

• to compare existing approaches, 

• to exemplarily develop new educational models, 

• to pilot these models in selected European prisons and 

• to reach beyond the life of the project through the transfer of the results into 

European networks. 

The project is based on a participative approach involving staff and decision makers 

in the penal system from the very beginning. In addition to the development of 

innovative educational models, human resources and organisational development 

processes will be initiated. Existing strategies for educational planning shall be 

revised in order to optimise the inter-linkage between adult education provisions and 

the specific needs of the target group. It is intended that the gathered results will be 

integrated into the individual sentence planning focusing on the social reintegration of 

prisoners. 



2. Project Approach 

At the project start, the work plan of the project consortium was reviewed and updated 

in terms of the activities and deliverables. A Kick-Off Meeting served for the 

consolidation of the transnational partnership, the coordination of activities and the 

final assignment of the individual work packages as well as for the agreement on a 

common dissemination plan and evaluation design. Individual partner agreements 

have been concluded between the coordinator and the partner organisations. 

For communication and file sharing purposes, a user-friendly online-platform was set 

up and all partners were trained concerning how to work with this tool. The contents 

on the platform are sub-divided according to the individual work packages. 

Meanwhile, nearly one hundred different working documents have been up- and 

downloaded by the partners. 

Each partner belonging to the development group leads one of the work packages 

dedicated to the topic-oriented development of models and tools: 

1. Work package “Development and piloting of flexible educational modules 

for adult prisoners” → coordinated by the Austrian partner Institute for the 

Sociology of Law and Criminology (IRKS) 

2. Work package “Concepts and methods of self organised learning as part 

of the working process in prison” → coordinated by the Institute for 

Education in the Information Society (IBI), Germany 

3. Work package “Models for an individualised needs assessment and 

measure planning” → coordinated by Copenhagen Prisons, Denmark 

4. Work package “Integration of non-educational staff and decision makers 

into competence development processes and into organisational 

development” → coordinated by Women’s Computer Centre (FCZB, 

Germany) 

The work package leader’s tasks include the design of a work-structure and the 

coordination of the activities related to the respective topic. All coordinating partners 

closely collaborate with each other in terms of the work package contents. 

In the course of the project activities, first, an overview on existing provisions as 

regards the combination of prisoner’s work and education was compiled. For this, all 

partners have collected information regarding the national, regional and institutional 

context related to the penal system. The information was summarized in a 

comparative report where the legal and structural framework, selected data on the 

prison population and existing education and work provisions in the participating 

prisons were presented. Furthermore, relevant national and regional developments 

towards prisoners’ access to education and examples of educational and training 

models and approved methods were highlighted. 

This overview was the starting point for a survey of demand in the participating 

prisons and for the development of new models to educate and train prisoners and to 

combine their work in the prison facilities with educational provisions. Based on 

interviews and group discussions with prison staff, this analysis has covered the most 

relevant needs to be met by the educational models to be developed. Although 

prisoners themselves were not interviewed, their particular needs especially in terms 



of gender aspects were reflected by the staff being in touch with this group on an 

everyday base. 

Each development partner has described the situation in the participating penal 

institution, identified the demand and developed first ideas how these needs might be 

met. Among others, existing educational modules and competence development 

procedures in the participating prisons were described and current learning 

processes being part of the work process in prison were pointed out. Not least, the 

need for development of additional and/or complementary models in accordance with 

the prisoners’ needs was specified. 

At the moment, the situation in all the participating prison is characterised by human 

resources and financial constraints and the lack of resources concerning the 

education of prisoners according to their needs. In the past, there were various 

educational measures realised in the prisons which, however, merely took place in 

the context of projects with a limited duration such as in the context of the 

Community Initiative EQUAL. The project KEYS is thereby seen as another chance 

to pilot innovative approaches. 

The work carried out by offenders in the prisons concerned is currently in most cases 

low-qualified or unskilled work. Existing educational measures are overwhelmingly 

carried out as separated measures or as a part of vocational training whilst during the 

“ordinary” working times, no education is provided. It was also shown that many 

prisoners prefer to work instead of taking part in education, which is mainly a 

question of gratification. 

In summary, the following need was identified in the participating prisons: 

• Pre-professional measures supplementing the activities in the prison work 

facilities 

• Improved competence assessment procedures 

• Provisions for drug addictive female offenders (topics: health care, coping with 

everyday life) 

• Provisions for adult female offenders (pre-professional measures, orientation 

towards the labour market) 

• Additional staff for education in prison 

• Occupational therapy measures (for all target groups) 

• Both individual learning and learning in groups 

• Flexibly combinable learning modules (“qualification bricks”) 

• Individualized learning modules as regards the timeframe/length of 

educational measures 

• Work integrated learning 

• Stronger orientation of occupation in prison towards the re-socialisation of 

offenders 

• Improvement of the cooperation structures between educational staff / social 

workers / staff being responsible for work in prison 

• Learning strategies contributing to the socializing skills of offenders 

• Strategies in terms of “Learning to learn” 

• Intensive training for skilled work 

The interviewed staff members have added a range of proposals how to meet the 

formulated need: First of all, a strategy combining work and education should be 



drafted. Facing the lack of resources, synergies with other projects should be sought 

for. It should also be looked for opportunities enhancing the motivation of prisoners to 

take actively part in education and training (eg through financial gratification, positive 

point of view and a positive way to socialize). In addition, it was pointed out that an 

innovative model of collaboration between educational and non-educational prison 

staff should be initiated. 

Moreover, in the context of the survey of demand, the need to integrate prison staff 

and decision makers into the development and implementation of innovative 

educational approaches was highlighted. The interview partners were therefore also 

asked for incentives to engage in measures like those planned in KEYS. Among 

other things, the following issues were mentioned: 

‣ To keep them informed about the projects contents and aims and to confess 

them of the advantages they might take of the projects (“win-win-situation”) 

‣ To invite them to meetings and other venues 

‣ To ask them for their opinion, needs and wishes → following a participative 

approach 

‣ To seek for synergies with other projects / provisions in order to minimize the 

resources to be spent 

‣ But first of all: to actively involve decision makers both at the prison level and 

the justice administration level 

Based on the identification of successful practices in this regard, the results will be 

further elaborated and serve for the formulation of recommendations how to motivate 

and involve prison staff into educational innovations. 

In a next step, the various models to be developed and introduced into the 

participating prisons were systematised and allocated to the individual work 

packages. A common structure was developed for the presentation of the individual 

educational models, approaches and instruments providing information on the 

specific need that will be met and on the contents, methods, organizational frame 

and staff to be involved. To discuss the development process as well as the review 

procedure more in detail, the development partners took part in a meeting dedicated 

to these questions. 

All development partners have presented their ideas and plans according to this 

structure. So far, the following models, instrument and approaches were described: 



Name of the Model 

Work integrated training for 

women in the prisons’ kitchen 

“Integration workplaces” for 

female offenders 

Roadmap for individual 

learning and working steps 

Improved assessment 

procedure 

Integrated learning and 

employment in the detention 

area – reorganisation of 

education and work 

Work integrated training for 

prisoners working at the 

wards/stations of the prison 

Educational module for 

prisoners working in the 

kitchen (and partly for inmates 

in other workshops) 

Road safety education 

Ergotherapy 

Fitness 

“Learning island” 

Description (short version) 

A new course in the prisons kitchen will be developed 

which is based on an existing pre-professional training 

course. It consists of work integrated training in the 

kitchen and of theoretical lessons. The training includes 

the teaching of so called “everyday knowledge” 

The main idea is to establish flexible work opportunities 

within the given framework (staff, infrastructure, physical 

requirements etc) in a prison workshop. Learning is 

integrated into the work activities. 

An individualised model of documentation (“road map”) 

how to (re)constitute the employability of female drug 

addictive prisoners will be developed. 

The procedure contains a range of innovative 

approaches and instruments, such as a detailed 

questionnaire, the strong collaboration with the 

community as well as staff training. 

Improvement of procedures for selection and 

categorization of the inmates so that the efforts match 

the prisoners’ needs. Intensified cooperation between 

staff in the work facilities and educational staff 

Implementation of an educational module consisting of 

several separate and independent units. The 

background idea is to provide prisoners with knowledge 

and skills in the field of building service 

The contents of the learning module follow the basic 

curriculum for the training as a cook or kitchen 

assistant. The inmates are supposed to acquire basic 

knowledge, understanding and skills for the (assisting) 

work in the kitchen. 

The idea is to install a flexible learning and information 

offer for interested inmates with several components 

such as material for self-information and self-learning 

about traffic matters as well as personal assistance for 

the inmates´ individual concerns. 

Occupational therapists working in the penal system 

treat patients with varying psychiatric diagnoses. The 

purpose is to achieve optimal re-integration of offenders 

into everyday work situations in prison. 

Elaboration and publication of nutrition tables, training 

schedules, information sheets for inmates. First aid 

courses in the field of sports medicine are also 

envisaged. Training of trainers among inmates who may 

find work at a fitness centre after they have been 

released. 

In this workshop, all inmates will have the opportunity of 

spending their work time by learning at the PC and/or 

using the available E-learning programmes in their 



“Looking ahead“ workshop 

Establishment of a Learning 

Centre 

work. 

One idea is to prepare inmates even better for their 

release and avoid their renewed imprisonment by 

cooperating with special services (psychological service 

and social service), an external teacher/trainer and an 

employee of the field establishment. 

Establishment of a learning centre in order to enable 

more inmates to get access to an existing E-Learning 

server. So far only a selected number of inmates have 

been able to do so. Such a centre will also make it 

possible for inmates to obtain ECD*L-computer literacy 

certificates and access certain permitted internet pages. 

The review partners were provided with the relevant information and asked to 

comment each model according to selected questions. They then attributed 

themselves to those models that might be feasible to test/review in the prison they 

represent. The review partners were also asked to explain what modification(s) would 

be needed to match the respective institutional conditions. 

The review partners’ feedback was analysed and will serve for the further 

development of the models presented. In the context of the forthcoming Mid-Term- 

Meeting involving all project partners, specific review workshops will serve for a more 

detailed review of the proposed ideas. During the course of the project, there might 

be also additional examples and ideas added. 

“KEYS” is being systematically evaluated. During the Kick-Off-Meeting, a concept for 

the formative and summative evaluation of the project was presented by the 

responsible partner. Both the project process and the achieved project results are 

covered through this process. The data required for the analysis are collected by 

monitoring the project and by a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. The 

results will be documented in a final report which then again documents the overall 

results of the project. 

In the same way as the evaluation, the dissemination process has started at the 

beginning of the project. A project website was set up informing about the project’s 

contents, background, objectives, activities and partners: http://www.keys.fczb.de/ 

The dissemination strategy aims at a broad circulation of the project results within the 

European penal “community”. First of all, it is directed towards decision makers in the 

field of prison education, but at the same time staff working with prisoners will be 

addressed. A mailing list has been set up indicating potential dissemination partners 

at the European, national, regional and local level. For this, the partners have 

identified relevant addressees in accordance with their national and/or regional 

systems as well as potential European partners. The mailing list will be continuously 

up-dated during the course of the project. 

The broader communication of the project contents and aims to relevant actors in the 

field of prison education has been already initiated: Among others, the project was 

represented at the Grundtvig Conference on prison education “Pathways to 



Inclusion” which was held in February 2010 in Budapest, involving more than 200 

participants from all over Europe. 

In addition, there is a continuous collaboration going on with the Grundtvig Learning 

Partnership on prison education “HIPPO - How Individual learning Pathways are 

Possible for Offenders”, involving experts from five EU countries not being 

represented in the consortium. Last but not least, the projects’ gender approach will 

be presented at a workshop on labour market integration of female prisoners in 

December 2010. The workshop is organised by the learning network 

"Ex-Offender Community of Practice" (ExOCop) which is partly funded by the 

European Commission. 



3. Project Outcomes & Results 

With the project “KEYS”, target groups will be made familiar with learning which in 

their past have often fallen through the provisions offered in the traditional education 

and training system. Through the combination of work and learning, prisoners will be 

supported with their re-introduction to learning. Thereby they will be provided with a 

bridge to the regular education and training provisions both during the time of their 

imprisonment and after their release. 

In terms of the progress at the project’s half-time, the following achievements shall be 

highlighted: 

→ Consolidation of the Project Consortium 

→ Development of project logo and website http://www.keys.fczb.de/ 

→ Dissemination plan 

→ Evaluation design 

→ Comparative Report “Learning and working in prison in six EU Member 

States” 

→ Survey of demand concerning the needs in participating prisons 

→ Drafts of models, instruments and approaches enhancing the participation of 

prisoners in adult education 

→ Initiating a review process by European partners providing feedback on the 

need for innovative educational models and on the feasibility of selected 

instruments 



4. Partnerships 

The project is implemented by a consortium of eight partner organisations from six 

EU countries: 

1. FCZB -FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin e.V. (Women's Computer Center 

Berlin) - Germany 

2. Københavns Fængsler (Copenhagen Prisons) – Denmark 

3. IBI - Institut für Bildung in der Informationsgesellschaft e.V. (Institute for 

Education in the Information Society) - Germany 

4. IRKS - Institut für Rechts- und Kriminalsoziologie (Institute for the Sociology of 

Law and Criminology) - Austria 

5. Justizanstalt Stein (Stein Prison) – Austria 

6. European Prison Education Association Malta Branch - Malta 

7. Valsts probacijas dienesta Daugavpils teritoriala strukturvieniba (State 

Probation Service Daugavpils district) - Latvia 

8. Fundación Esplai (Foundation Esplai) - Spain 

The project consortium is subdivided into a development group and a review group, 

whereas each partner contributes a specific field of professional expertise. Although 

the degree of participation in development activities differs within these two groups, 

the partners equally participate in the discussions on the project proceedings. 

All partners are experienced in running projects on prison education and in 

transnational cooperation. The well balanced consortium features a broad crosssection 

of institutions holding specific competences, such as prisons, adult education 

providers, research institutes, foundations, probation services and administrative 

bodies of justice. 

Thus, not only the expertise of the partners is diverse but also stakeholders such as 

prison school staff and decision makers as well as gender experts are involved in the 

consortium. Both prisons providing specific learning opportunities for offenders as 

well as institutions developing and piloting innovative educational models for various 

groups of disadvantaged learners are represented. To broaden the expertise 

represented in the consortium, associated partners have been involved such as 

prisons and justice authorities (Wulkow prison Brandenburg, Berlin Women’s Prison 

and the ministries of justice both in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany). 

Each partner provides diverse practical experience resulting from the work with 

groups of learners with particular needs from a differentiated point of view. Through 

the involvement of review partners piloting the developed outcomes, a feedback on 

their feasibility given both by prisoners and prison staff under diverse conditions will 

be given. 



5. Plans for the Future 

First of all, the educational models and learning materials will be further developed 

and provided to all partners. 

Regarding the review process, the Mid-term meeting taking place in November 2010 

will serve as an important framework for the presentation and evaluation of the 

educational models, instruments and approaches developed so far. In the context of 

individual workshops, the review partners will provide their feedback which will be an 

important condition for the further elaboration of these models. 

The results of each (development) work package will be summarized in specific 

guidelines and substantially contribute to a handbook on adult education in prison. 

The handbook will be published by the end of the project’s lifetime. 

Based on the up-dated mailing list including national and European addressees, the 

project results will be disseminated within institutions and organisations active in the 

field of prison education, persons working on the practical level concerning teaching 

and learning in prison, individual experts committed to these issues as well as 

relevant decision makers on the national, regional and institutional level. 

A final project conference will take place in Vienna (Austria) including associated and 

project network partners. This is the more essential as some associated partners 

represent both national and European networks dedicated to the penal system (such 

as the European Prison Education Association and the (Ex-)Offenders Community of 

Practice) thus guaranteeing a broad spread of information. 

Moreover, the coordinator will apply at the German National Agency for hosting a 

Grundtvig Workshop on prison education taking place during the last few months of 

the project or subsequently to the project finalization. The course will be targeted at 

prison teachers, non educational staff and decision makers. 



6. Contribution to EU policies 

KEYS will substantially contribute to an increased participation of prisoners in lifelong 

learning, thus supporting the Lifelong Learning Programme’s objective to stronger 

involve people of all ages, including those with special needs and disadvantaged 

groups, regardless of their socio-economic background. 

Despite of the recommendation given by the Council of Europe in 2006 that all 

prisoners shall be provided with access to comprehensive educational programmes 

in accordance with their educational needs, their general participation in education 

and training is still deficient. The lacking participation of adult prisoners in education 

is a European wide phenomenon which, however, has come increasingly into the 

centre of attention. This finds its reflection in several EU funded projects on prison 

education whether in the context of the Lifelong Learning or other programmes. 

In the last few years, European networks were established, and the transfer of 

approaches and successful practices being implemented in individual penal 

institutions has been initiated. The “Pathways to inclusion” conference which was 

organised in February 2010 by the DG Education and Culture of the European 

Commission with more than 200 participants from all over Europe shall be mentioned 

here to illustrate the growing significance of European cooperation in prison 

education and training. At the conference, the right of both offenders and exoffenders 

on the road to re-integration to benefit from learning opportunities equally 

as other members of the society was explicitly referred to 1 . 

With the project KEYS it is intended to contribute to the support for education and 

training related to prisoners and to enhance the process of European collaboration in 

this regard. The final project conference involving European participants outside of 

the project consortium will serve for transferring knowledge and experiences, thus 

contributing to the development of improved common strategies on the inclusion of 

adult prisoners into lifelong learning. 

As the focus is on female and male prisoners, the project KEYS contributes to the EU 

wide efforts to educational integration of disadvantaged groups being thereby in line 

with the social pillar of the Lisbon Strategy to combat social exclusion and to fight 

gender related discrimination. 

Not least, the project brings together prison facilities working on the combination of 

prisoner’s work and adult education. This will contribute to the complementation, 

deepening and enlargement of already existing EU networks dedicated to prison 

education and the improvement of (re)integration chances of (ex)offenders into 

society. 

1 See conference website for reports and background papers: 

http://ec.europa.eu/education/grundtvig/doc2047_en.htm

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