Skip to content

News

Research note

The ethnography of the prisoner transitions aims at developing an advanced understanding of the re-entry process from the subjective perspective of prisoners themselves. The processes, interactions, meanings and conflicts involved in re-entry will be examined from Roma and non-Roma prisoner’s point of view. Moreover, in order to assess the impact of the cultural, political and social environment on the reintegration process, the research will be conducted in two countries: Norway and Romania. The research sample will consist of 20 Romanian prisoners with Roma background, 20 Romanian prisoners with non-Roma background, 10 Romanian prisoners held in a Norwegian prison and 5 Romanian prisoners with Roma background held in a Norwegian prison. The data collection and data analysis will follow the same procedure in both countries so that comparative analysis will be possible.

By Ioan Durnescu

The research methodology is based on an ethnographic design where researchers will ‘immerse’ themselves into the subjective realities of the prisoners. The main research methods will be observation, in-depth interview, psychometric tests and photography. During the research, the researchers will spend as much time as possible with the participants prior to and post release. The participants will ‘shadow’ the released prisoners in the first day of freedom. Interviews will be conducted: one before release and four after release (after one week, after one month, after three months, after one year from release). Psychometrics will monitor changes in motivation, agency, hope, problem solving and coping abilities.
Preliminary results will be presented at the Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Porto, September, 2015.
The project is co-funded by the EEA Grants / Norway through the Romanian Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation.
For more info:
Ioan Durnescu: idurnescu@gmail.com
Thomas Ugelvik: thomas.ugelvik@jus.uio.no

Related News

Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.

Reading corner

Probation in Europe

New Release: Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance

13/11/2025

This book, Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance, has been released by Routledge. It is a practice-oriented resource exploring how forensic social work can support desistance and foster meaningful change in the lives of justice-involved individuals.

New

Probation in Europe

New Vodcast Episode: Stephan Leißner on Event-Based Group Work in Probation

13/11/2025

The 16th episode of Division_Y features Stephan Leißner, a public probation and parole officer at the Coburg Regional Court in Bavaria, Germany.

Recap

Probation in Europe, Projects

CoPPer Project Final Conference: A Celebration of Collaboration, Impact and Inspiration

10/11/2025

On 6 November 2025, the CoPPer Final Project Conference took place at Het Nutshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands, marking a milestone in European cooperation and innovation in the field of probation. The event brought together 66 participants representing jurisdictions from Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Estonia, as well as Türkiye and Japan. A clear sign of the growing international interest in the CoPPer project and its outcomes.

Recap

Probation outside Europe

CEP at the 27th ICPA Conference in Istanbul

05/11/2025

CEP SG Jana Spero Kamenjarin attended the 27th International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Conference, held in Istanbul, Türkiye. The conference brought together professionals, researchers, and policy experts from around the world to share insights and best practices. There were approximately 700 participants and the conference program consisted of 151 presentations.

New

Others

New DG JUSTICE Newsletter on funding opportunities & funded projects is out.

03/11/2025

The latest edition of the DG JUSTICE Newsletter is now out, packed with funding opportunities and funded projects!

New

Uncategorized

Newsletter October 2025 out now

30/10/2025

CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! Articles on the CEP conference: Public Perception of Probation, Expert Network Meeting on Education and Training,  CEP Calls for EM expert group, CEP awards and more.>> Read here

 

>>Read previous newsletters

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!