On 27-30 March 2023 the International Correctional Research Symposium “Rehabilitating Reintegration: Research and Reflections on What Works” in Porto, Portugal took place.
Corrections is not only about the time spent in prison. Since most of the people that we incarcerate are released and returned back to their communities at some point, a significant task of criminal justice agencies is also to focus on this eventual ‘return’. From both a decency and a public safety perspective, it is pivotal that prisons and probation do all they can to assist in reintegration. But what constitutes good or effective reintegration? What does a ‘successful’ transition from custody to the community look and feel like? What can we learn from research and practice in this regard?
On the first day, Jana Špero, CEP Secretary General and Gerry McNally, CEP Research Expert Group Chair and former President of CEP, delivered a presentation on “What Works vs. What’s Right in Rehabilitating Reintegration”.
On the second day, Jana moderated a workshop on ‘Innovation and New Directions in Reintegration Practice.’ The workshop featured insightful presentations: