Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Effective model for social rehabilitation and integration of juvenile and minor delinquents
Centre for integration of risk groups and groups with criminal behaviour
Background
According to the report of the Pazardjik Police Department for the year 2000, 192 juveniles and 459 minors were on record at the Juvenile Pedagogical Service at that time. Most typical infringements, committed by juveniles and minors are: vagrancy, escape from home, tobaccoo smoking, use of alcohol, larceny, robbery, blackmail, and prostitution. The number of youths using narcotic substances disturbingly increases.
Several main problems, regarding the instruments and resources influencing those processes, have been outlined:
- insufficient interest, as well as weak coordination between the institutions, working with children;
- lack of timely work with students about to drop out of school;
- lack of information on record, regarding school dropouts;
- insufficient training of social supervisors, members of the Committee for Fighting Youth Deliquency and Youth Dependency on Narcotics and representatives of the Juvenile Pedagogical Service;
- measures enforced according to the Act on Fighting Crime have mostly proved inappropriate;
- no alternative ways of influencing the target group have been used;
- local non governmental organizations remain isolated from the problem.
According to the report of the Pazardjik Police Department for the year 2000, 192 juveniles and 459 minors were on record at the Juvenile Pedagogical Service at that time. Most typical infringements, committed by juveniles and minors are: vagrancy, escape from home, tobaccoo smoking, use of alcohol, larceny, robbery, blackmail, and prostitution. The number of youths using narcotic substances disturbingly increases.
Several main problems, regarding the instruments and resources influencing those processes, have been outlined:
- insufficient interest, as well as weak coordination between the institutions, working with children;
- lack of timely work with students about to drop out of school;
- lack of information on record, regarding school dropouts;
- insufficient training of social supervisors, members of the Committee for Fighting Youth Deliquency and Youth Dependency on Narcotics and representatives of the Juvenile Pedagogical Service;
- measures enforced according to the Act on Fighting Crime have mostly proved inappropriate;
- no alternative ways of influencing the target group have been used;
- local non governmental organizations remain isolated from the problem.
Practice
The practice was implemented in three stages:
Preparatory stage:
- Collecting information about legislation and resources of partner organizations setting up a database of best practices and models existing, human resources, infrastructure;
- Creation of partnership and effective information exchange between the executive organization and partners, including local authorities, Municipal Social Service, Child Protection Department, Juvenile Pedagogical Service, Local council for fight with anti-social deeds of minors and juveniles;
- Training of representatives and building an effective model with the participation of all interested parties. Training included introduction to international practices with minor and juvenile delinquents and possibilities for their application in Bulgaria, as well as discussions and creation of work programs based on the experience and resources of the institutions and organizations involved.
The model evaluation consisted of three stages:
1. Self-evaluation: monitoring and analysis, conducted by the team and the specialists implementing the project and the Alternative Program for work with young delinquents;
2. Two-way communication with the target group: questionnaires and inquiries were made and given to young people with behavioral problems, as well as to their parents or guardians;
3. Supervision: research on personality and living environment conducted by associate professors Pavlina Petkova and Vladimir Velinov from the Clinic of Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry, and Stefan Georgiev, member of the Social Integration Association , as well as by specialists in working with delinquents.
Main Stage
- Implementation of a practical model related to inter-institutional cooperation. The Municipal Social Service, Child Protection Department, Juvenile Pedagogical Service, Local Police Department, Regional Prosecutor s office, and NGOs took part in creating the model. It is directed towards effective cooperation and information exchange regarding the target group. The main goals of the model was to increase the effectiveness of the work on the particular cases and to reduce the risk of repetition of the committed crime.
- Social work with minor and juvenile delinquents: the Alternative Program consisted of two closely related stages:
1. Alternative Summer Program lasted 7 days. It was realized in maximum separation from the everyday environment. Its main goal was to teach communicative and problem solving skills, to improve participants` self-evaluation, and help them develop skills for planning and survival in extreme situations.
2. The Alternative Program was realized through eight meetings in the young people s everyday environment. Its main purpose was to prepare the participants to cope up with their lives independently. It included discussions, meetings with lecturers, initiatives for integration of the participants into the city life and their peers community.
Some problems came up, regarding the confidentiality of personal information. Organizing reports, which presented the work with the target group, was only possible with their parents permission. Therefore the project team took into account the parents desire that the activity connected with their children, should not be given publicity. Detailed explanation of the program to the parents, introducing them to the work teams, and periodical contacts to inform them about the results achieved was vital to the successful completion of the project.
Final Stage Analysis of results and changes:
A meeting of representatives of all institutions and the supervising specialists concluded the project. After presenting the quality and quantity results, the following factors required for improving the work, were outlined:
- Multi-discipline teams should carry out care programs, in order to evaluate the specific needs of the target group;
- Activities should abide by the international standards and the requirements of the Convention for the protection of children s rights;
- Programs should support the target group in personality development, provide them with adequate information and help them make competent choices for their lives;
- Programs should take into account both social and psychological aspects of work with young people, as well as observe that the judicial restrictions, sanctions or sentences be obeyed properly.
The practice was implemented in three stages:
Preparatory stage:
- Collecting information about legislation and resources of partner organizations setting up a database of best practices and models existing, human resources, infrastructure;
- Creation of partnership and effective information exchange between the executive organization and partners, including local authorities, Municipal Social Service, Child Protection Department, Juvenile Pedagogical Service, Local council for fight with anti-social deeds of minors and juveniles;
- Training of representatives and building an effective model with the participation of all interested parties. Training included introduction to international practices with minor and juvenile delinquents and possibilities for their application in Bulgaria, as well as discussions and creation of work programs based on the experience and resources of the institutions and organizations involved.
The model evaluation consisted of three stages:
1. Self-evaluation: monitoring and analysis, conducted by the team and the specialists implementing the project and the Alternative Program for work with young delinquents;
2. Two-way communication with the target group: questionnaires and inquiries were made and given to young people with behavioral problems, as well as to their parents or guardians;
3. Supervision: research on personality and living environment conducted by associate professors Pavlina Petkova and Vladimir Velinov from the Clinic of Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry, and Stefan Georgiev, member of the Social Integration Association , as well as by specialists in working with delinquents.
Main Stage
- Implementation of a practical model related to inter-institutional cooperation. The Municipal Social Service, Child Protection Department, Juvenile Pedagogical Service, Local Police Department, Regional Prosecutor s office, and NGOs took part in creating the model. It is directed towards effective cooperation and information exchange regarding the target group. The main goals of the model was to increase the effectiveness of the work on the particular cases and to reduce the risk of repetition of the committed crime.
- Social work with minor and juvenile delinquents: the Alternative Program consisted of two closely related stages:
1. Alternative Summer Program lasted 7 days. It was realized in maximum separation from the everyday environment. Its main goal was to teach communicative and problem solving skills, to improve participants` self-evaluation, and help them develop skills for planning and survival in extreme situations.
2. The Alternative Program was realized through eight meetings in the young people s everyday environment. Its main purpose was to prepare the participants to cope up with their lives independently. It included discussions, meetings with lecturers, initiatives for integration of the participants into the city life and their peers community.
Some problems came up, regarding the confidentiality of personal information. Organizing reports, which presented the work with the target group, was only possible with their parents permission. Therefore the project team took into account the parents desire that the activity connected with their children, should not be given publicity. Detailed explanation of the program to the parents, introducing them to the work teams, and periodical contacts to inform them about the results achieved was vital to the successful completion of the project.
Final Stage Analysis of results and changes:
A meeting of representatives of all institutions and the supervising specialists concluded the project. After presenting the quality and quantity results, the following factors required for improving the work, were outlined:
- Multi-discipline teams should carry out care programs, in order to evaluate the specific needs of the target group;
- Activities should abide by the international standards and the requirements of the Convention for the protection of children s rights;
- Programs should support the target group in personality development, provide them with adequate information and help them make competent choices for their lives;
- Programs should take into account both social and psychological aspects of work with young people, as well as observe that the judicial restrictions, sanctions or sentences be obeyed properly.
Results
The project has achieved the following results:
- established mechanisms for cooperation between local authorities, governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations;
- a stable community of supporters not only in the Municipality, but also at national level;
- improvement of personal abilities to cope up with life problems of the minors, juveniles and their parents;
- building up a work model of a Social Services Center with approbated training programs;
- increasing the capacity of the organization and supporting the specialization process of the Center for Integration of Criminal and Risk Groups in working with delinquents at the age of 12 to 17.
The project has achieved the following results:
- established mechanisms for cooperation between local authorities, governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations;
- a stable community of supporters not only in the Municipality, but also at national level;
- improvement of personal abilities to cope up with life problems of the minors, juveniles and their parents;
- building up a work model of a Social Services Center with approbated training programs;
- increasing the capacity of the organization and supporting the specialization process of the Center for Integration of Criminal and Risk Groups in working with delinquents at the age of 12 to 17.
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