For inmates, the advantages of participating to education and training activities are multiple. Being usually low educated and without qualifications, they gain confidence, and by acquiring basic competences, and developing transversal and vocational skills, they increase their chances to be employed when they are free. Yet, access to employment is one of the conditions for a sound rehabilitation in autonomy, while reducing the risk of recidivism. But training opportunities may be limited because not all prisons have the technical premises needed to provide vocational courses. And, if there are some opportunities, prisoners may be reluctant to participate or may drop out after a while.Virtual Reality for Training Inmates (ViRTI) wants to act on these two limiting factors: 1) by creating virtual environments it is possible to compensate a lack of laboratories, material or tools; 2) by introducing interactive features and gamification in the learning content, it is possible to attract more participants and to maintain their motivation thus reducing dropping out rates.ViRTI gathers four partners, one expert of prison systems, two education and training centers with a long experience in training inmates and one developer of interactive learning content experienced in virtual reality. Together they will:- analyse the potential of virtual reality for education and training in prisons and specify some use cases- develop an interactive gamified training path in the construction sector, using virtual reality based on 360° videos- pilot it in three different prison contexts: short term convicts, juvenile justice centre and detention centres welcoming prisoners sentenced to more than one year with positive perspectives for rehabilitation.- provide guidelines to 1) Penitenciary administrations, 2) Funding bodies, 3) Educators and trainers, 4) Learning content and technology providers; so that they are able to introduce virtual reality tools for training prisoners. Then, more virtual reality based content can be used in prisons, and more prisons will introduce it in collaboration with education and training providers and more inmates will benefit from its added value. They will develop skills and competences, acquire knowledge of economic sectors lacking workforce, increasing their chances to be employed. This is applicable for the participating countries as all results will be available in French, Spanish, Catalan, Greek, Portuguese. The English versions disseminated will allow a transfer to any other country.

When we look at the issue of criminal prevention and the effectiveness of prison sentences, we are immediately confronted with the alarming rate of recidivism among this population. In fact, according to a systematic worldwide review, rates of criminal recidivism are reported to be as high as 50% in many jurisdictions, and, unlike recorded crime rates in the general population, have not declined in recent years (Fazel & Wolf, 2015). There is a recognition that this preparation for reintegration should start before the offenders’ release, during the execution of the sentence (Griffiths et al., 2007). Further, it is known that prison inmates who receive general education and vocational training are less likely to return to prison after release and more likely to find employment than others who do not receive such opportunities (Davis et al. 2013 in Crabbe, 2016). While there are different types of education and training offered to inmates, these are more inclined to participate in programmes where they see clear opportunities to improve their skills and capabilities. Vocational programmes experience success because they are kept separate from traditional prison routines, provide follow-up services for inmates once released, and provide marketable training skills (Vacca, 2004). In this hyperconnected digital society, where we are surrounded by IT devices and by software, not having basic knowledge in this area is just a challenge today as was being illiterate before. Therefore, it is important that inmates are given the opportunity to develop ICT skills while serving their sentences, which encompass not only basic skills of daily use, but also skills that can be, in itself, a working tool, such as coding. Coding helps practice 21st century skills such as problem solving, teamwork and analytical thinking. Furthermore, coding skills are in demand across a broad range of careers, not just for programmers. Taking our inspiration from The Last Mile, and Coding4000 (prison coding projects), the Coding-OUT project aims to help break the cycle of incarceration by teaching inmates coding skills that can significantly increase their chances of employment post-release (skills with a high demand in the global job market), while helping supply companies with the skills they need. It attempts to achieve this outcome by developing a training programme for educators/trainers to prepare them to teach inmates basic programming skills, which is expected to have a positive impact on their employability after release from prison and, consequently, in their social reintegration. Coding-OUT project aims to: 1) Empower inmates with marketable skills that lead to employment by developing a training programme in prison focusing on basic computer programming skills; 2) Enhance the inmates’ understanding of a hype-connected world and environment through increased knowledge of software and coding; 3) Improve the skills of prison trainers/educators to train inmates on basic programming by developing and piloting a training programme for staff (blended learning); 4) Promote the cooperation of prisons with external organisations that can provide job placement for inmates after release in the software development field 5) Raise the awareness of prison staff, management, educators/trainers and policy makers to the importance of digital/coding skills enhancement for inmates.The activity of the project focused in two IO:- IO2. Coding-out training curriculum and programme. Oriented to prison educators. The training was structure in 7 units.(unit 1-2 soft skills, unit 3-7 technical skills) - IO4. Coding training course for inmates. Complementary training materials for inmates and piloting phase.Despite the situation created by the impact of Covid 19 in 2020 and 2021, the consortium reached the expected results but it was necessary asking for the extension of two months of the project (ending date 31/10/2021). This situation impacted in the realisation of the training activity, piloting phase and some part of the project meetings. The training activity C1 was carried in on-line format and in different datesU3. FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNOLOGY (26/11/2020)Number of participants in the training: 19U4. ALGORITHMS (3/12/2020)N of partic.: 13U5. BASIC PROGRAMMING LANGUAJES (17/11/2020)N of partic: 28U6. WEB DEVELOPMENT (18/11/2020)N of partic: 23U7. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT (18/11/2020)N of partic: 23PRAC.U3-4 (26/01/2021)N of partic: 15PRAc. U5-6-7 (27/01/2021)N of partic 14For the piloting phase, the consortium faced a challenging situation because the use of internet is forbiden in prisons (for inmates) and movility and number of attendances to the trainings was restringed. At the end the piloting phase was executed in Portugal, Rumania and Spain.Portugal, 3 piloting with 31 participants.Rumania, has organised 3 pilot groups that took place between April 2021 and June 2021. 27 participantsSpain, 2 groups, 9 participan

<< Background >>Recidivism entails the relapse of criminal behaviour, and unlike recorded crime rates in the European population, crime recidivism rates are reported to be as high as 59% in some countries (Fazel & Wolf, 2015). Former inmates have a higher risk of re-perpetrating than other offenders, implying considerable costs and contributing to societies’ criminality and violence (Anderson & Skardhamar, 2014).Prison work benefits inmates, and its potential contributes to a successful re-entry into society (inclusion into the community and no recidivism) are known (Alós et al., 2014), particularly its effects on long term sentenced inmates (Zanella, 2020). Several benefits of professional reintegration are known, alongside the success rates on re-entry into society (inclusion into the community and no recidivism) (Alós et al., 2014). Working to remain occupied has fewer benefits and a positive impact than working to achieve a qualified job (after completing the sentence) (Society for Human Resource Management, 2019). Therefore, other factors in prison work models should be considered, such as the positive impacts of acquiring skills in industries in need of human resources compared with the acquisition of competencies in already served industries – the first is known to offer higher employability rates (Alós et al., 2014).According to a study from the Society for Human Resource Management (2019), job recruiters have struggled to recruit for full-time regular positions in skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, mechanics, welders, carpenters, transportation, namely drivers, construction and extraction workers in mining, community and social service workers, such as therapists and social workers and manufacturing industry. Another study has determined that, in an international context, the European industry will need 400 thousand more workers by 2030 (Manyika et al., 2017). These needs will be primarily felt in the textile, clothing, leather and footwear industries. In Europe, these industries represent an annual business volume of 200 thousand billion euros and employ 2.2 million people in 225 thousand companies.Prison services are challenged to increase the quantity and quality of prison work available, and their staff are in the spotlight and still with no continuous learning offer to develop their competencies on the field. Prison work has been a recurrent topic for many national and European projects throughout the past years - and STEP2LAB intends to complement these. This project focuses on building competencies on both sides, targeting adults and organisations involved in Prison Work, either from prison administrations or from specific private industries, alongside the inmates. This project aims to work with prison services and private industries in need of manpower, teaching them how to acquire competencies to create effective and collaborative itineraries of socio-labour integration for inmates. It also targets a younger audience, seeking to capacitate and motivate lighter sentences or end-of-sentence individuals to pursue a professional career and follow a sustainable living project. This project will provide to eases the prison management to the staff (Molleman & Leeuw, 2011), the reinsertion process of the inmate (Solomon et al., 2004) and the chance of (re)incarceration (Zanella, 2020), among others.<< Objectives >>STEP2LAB aims to target adults participating in Prison Work from prison services or members of specific private industries in need of manpower. Individuals tend to gain a whole series of skills to compete in the labour market, facing a limited support structure to help them achieve economic independence. This, combined with the community’s negative attitude towards employing ex-inmates, means appropriate support networks ought to be established to employ individuals, educate, train or enable them to access other support services such as work opportunities. This project is focused on enhancing prison work by developing a model to support cooperation between prison work and private industries. It seeks to provide effective career options to inmates, preparing them during the sentence and favouring a positive return to society of those imprisoned and fulfilling prison sentences. In concrete, the targeted adult learners include (1) inmates, (2) prison staff and (3) professionals working in private organisations and civil society organisations. In specific, STEP2LAB aims to address the needs of these target groups by providing a capacity-building package to both prison services and private industries in terms of setting effective prison work strategy, configuring a model suitable to each country needs. It will introduce continuous improvement protocols, define standards of cooperation with employers, and empower their staff to deliver standardised and certified induction training corresponding to the labour market offers after release. Its specific objectives include:- Create a replicable process to enhance prison services and private industries collaboration to create and implement complete procedures of inmates’ employment;- Create a model of guidance, training and insertion based on a collaborative approach between prison services and private industries enhancing the development of the career plan, including continuous learning, job qualification and employers’ preparation for the recruitment of inmates’ after release, tested with 36 inmates per participant country;- Create a standard to an induction training to be provided to inmates’ willing to acquire new competencies necessary to be employed in a specific economy industry, testing it with 36 inmates per country;- Design a training of trainer’s course to be delivered to prison and private industries staff on setting up and managing STEP2LAB processes and models. The project wants to pilot with 36 inmates per country, providing vocational guidance, a package of basic competencies induction in a specific industry, developing a career plan, and testing internships programs while completing the prison sentence.<< Implementation >>The STEP2LAB project structure foresees three different groups of activities:- Transversal activities that follow the project lifespan and ensure project management, dissemination, and evaluation; - R&D activities that provide coherent development of the proposed solutions according to the current needs and international experience (Project Result 1, Project Result 2, Project Result 3); - Piloting, roll-out, and mainstreaming activities ensure the adequacy and sustainability of the proposed solutions over time (Project Result 1, Project Result 2, Project Result 3 and Project Result 4).Project Result 1. Manual: Model of guidance, training and insertion (GTI) into the labour market.This Manual analyses how guidance, training, and labour support are provided in each prison service, especially in collaborating more effectively with private organisations while keeping public functions and responsibilities. What is the role private companies offering PW opportunities can play in the GTI process? How do prison services and private organisations set up the collaboration? What are the benefits for all sides: prisons, inmates, private organisation and society, of having an integrated approach and what do they need to achieve it?This project result will provide a Manual to be used both by prison and private organisations staff, seeking to increase the potential of the GTI path. Activity 01-1. Review existent manual for GTI processes cooperationActivity 01-2. Design a train the trainers for practitionersActivity 01-3. Deliver 1 pilot – including the testing with 36 inmates in each countryActivity 01-4. Deliver 1 transnational manual with the national chapterProject Result 2. Training: Private industries induction training for inmates. The first axis for a GTI process is guidance, but the second and most critical one is the training. This project will review how prison services and private organisations work together when setting up candidates to enter specific industries. Afterwards, it will design an induction training for a new career path, using the industry of moulds. It seeks to provide inmates with essential competencies, enabling them to access job opportunities and motivate them to invest in a career path.Activity 02-1. Induction courses review Activity 02-2. Design course curricula and courses organisation protocolsActivity 02-3. Partners exchange of training materials, setup of pilot and development of the induction training courseActivity 02-4. Deliver 1 to 2 pilot coursesProject Result 3. Catalogue: Integration Case Studies. Each GTI process implementation will be follow-up by the evaluation and quality analysis tools. The application of these tools will allow the project partners to create the inmate’s induction reports. These GTI reports, especially those regarding pilot actions (work-based component) implementation, will assure the quality of results and impact. Some GTI processes will be selected and presented in a catalogue to work as promotion and best practices to other industries and within the same industry in different geographic areas.Activity 03-1. Design of catalogue structureActivity 03-2. Selection of GTI casesActivity 03-3. Piloting Catalogue with industry and industriesActivity 03-4. Catalogue development guideProject Result 4. Training: Train the trainers. The training the trainer activity will tutor Prison Services and Industry Associations on the guidelines, framework and workflow of the GTI cooperation process. This capacity-building course will be vital to help internalize and mainstream GTI processes, and facilitate industry engagement.Activity 04-1. Design course curricula based on case studiesActivity 04-2. Develop and partners exchange of training materialsActivity 04-3. Set up a Learning Management System (LMS) platformActivity 04-4. Deliver 1 pilot course to train the trainers in each countryActivity 04-5. Embed the manual into annual training<< Results >>There is little controversy in the literature when considering the positive impacts of prison work for inmates. Studies show that work in prison goes far beyond an opportunity to receive an income for inmates: it is the primary instance for socialisation for prisoners, offering a context in which they can develop a sense of ownership, fulfilling an essential therapeutic and educational role in the resocialisation of inmates (Esteban et al., 2014). The mentioned impacts vary hugely according to a wide range of factors present in prison work models.Another aspect mentioned in the literature is the lack of rigorous evaluations of such prison work programmes (McEvoy, 2008). STEP2LAB builds on these findings by promoting competencies for a specific target group: adults and organisations involved in Prison Work, either from prison administrations or from specific private industries in need of manpower. Plus, the targeted adult learners include:- Inmates;- Prison staff;- Professionals working in private organisations and civil society organisations.STEP2LAB aims to address the needs of these target groups by providing a capacity-building package to both prison services and private industries in terms of setting effective prison work strategy, configuring a model suitable to each country needs. It will introduce continuous improvement protocols, define standards of cooperation with employers, and empower their staff to deliver standardised and certified induction training corresponding to the labour market offers after release. The project results will be developed sequentially and include a set of activities structured to create the innovation process. There will be information and knowledge to be used to develop the following project results and piloting. The list of foreseen outcomes is presented below: - Manual: Model of guidance, training and insertion into the labour market- Training: Private industries induction training for inmates- Catalogue: Integration Case Studies - Training: Train the trainersSeveral programmes implemented in prisons worldwide focus on recidivism’s prevention, which is essential to rehabilitate incarcerated individuals (Patterson, 2013). This project seeks to achieve this outcome alongside promoting higher employment rates among the ex-inmate population, as prison work benefits inmates and potentially contributes to successful re-entry into society (Alós et al., 2014).

<< Background >>General statistics indicate that 47% of adult prisoners report holding no qualifications, 42% having been permanently excluded from school (i.e., educational failure), and 13% stating never been employed (Coates, 2016). On average, prisoners are likely to be under-educated and lack educational skills (Davis et al., 2014). Most correctional facilities are unaware of prisoners with learning disabilities and difficulties (an estimation between 20% to 30%, or at worst cases reaching 52%) (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2009). The participation willingness in educational programmes inside prison is problematic, given that the majority of European countries register a participation rate below 25% (Hawley, Murphy & Souto-Otero, 2013).The Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes “are designed to teach prisoners about general employment skills or skills needed for specific jobs and industries.” (Davis et al., 2014), and its implementation has had a positive impact on reoffending likelihood. A 43% lower recidivism rate was reported due to the prisoner’s participation in VET programmes compared with those who did not participate. Furthermore, prisoners who receive vocational and education training have a 13% higher chance to obtain employment post-release than peers who did not (Crabbe, 2016). These findings demonstrate that VET programmes help prisoners gain vocational and educational training qualifications while incarcerated and increase their adherence to these programmes. Prison staff are fundamental bridges between prisoners and the required outcomes of prisoner-oriented VET programmes because they establish daily contact with prisoners. Thus, attention should also be given to prison staff training and learning, providing prisoners assistance to their rehabilitation.Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the latest digital tools generally defined as “an artificial or computer-generated, three-dimensional representation of reality, which is experienced through the senses and which is interactive.” (Van Gelder & Luciano, 2014). The goal of virtual scenarios is to provide the best possible realistic representation of the real world, immersing the user in a sensory system where interaction takes place (Ticknor, 2019a). This technology holds potential in pedagogical settings due to features that improve the learning process (e.g., gamification, multisensory interaction scenarios and real-world visual representations) (Mikropoulos & Natsis, 2011), and users feel motivated to engage in a continued educational context (Monahan, McArdle & Bertolotto, 2008).VR has the potential to be a beneficial integration of prison VET programmes. VR settings may support career and educational training with “real life” scenarios, preparing future ex-prisoners for adversities they may encounter upon release. Thus, the use of VR technology to provide rehabilitation services not only contributes to reducing the prisoner’s apprehensions/anxieties related to society’s challenges (Schultheis & Rizzo, 2001) but also may reduce the likelihood of repeated offences due to an increase developing in employment skills (Ticknor & Tillinghast, 2011). Also, virtual scenarios can be programmed and adapted to specific prisoners’ needs, resulting in a personalized environment intervention that cannot be accessed inside correctional facilities without the use of VR (Kip et al., 2019; Botella et al., 2017).The VISION project aims to mitigate one of the most felt difficulties of prisoners’ post release, which is obtaining rewarding employment. For this purpose, we seek to develop prisoners’ competencies through VET programmes, supported by the application of VR technology. This rehabilitation intervention predicts the achievement of positive outcomes by developing an adequate training programme for educators/trainers which, therefore, will provide the necessary training prisoners need.<< Objectives >>The VISION project aims to mitigate one of the most felt difficulties of prisoners’ post release, which is obtaining rewarding employment. For this purpose, we seek to develop prisoners’ competencies through VET programmes, supported by the application of VR technology. This rehabilitation intervention predicts the achievement of positive outcomes by developing an adequate training programme for educators/trainers which, therefore, will provide the necessary training prisoners need. Consequently, by achieving the proposed goals of the project, we will support prisoner’s in being better prepared to find and retain a job, leading to a successful society reintegration and the avoidance of reincarceration.Specifically, this project aims the following:1.Increase adherence to VET programmes (through the development of different virtual scenarios related with course enrolment and motivation);2.Increase Commitment of prisoners in VET programmes (prisoners’ education and vocational skills development);3.Increase success (prisoners’ preparation for labour market integration, employment post-release, reintegration, and avoidance of reincarceration);4.Improve trainers/educations skills to train prisoners.The VISION project forecasts the engagement of 320 prisoners/professionals/stakeholders in the implementation of the project activities and events. The project result includes several activities in which they will be enrolled to provide inputs to the project result's development and pursue project aims.In the PR1 - Mapping Prisoners Motivation Assessment and Enrolment Strategies - small groups of trainers and prisoners are foreseen to support the PR validation and fine-tuning process.In the PR2 - Enrolment and motivation Virtual Reality resource – a total of 75 trainers/professionals/trainers will contribute to the PR delivery.PR3/PR4 - VR Resource User Manual/ PR4: Train the Trainers (ToT) – the 90 trainers/educators/professionals will participate in the PR piloting, and within the ToT, the VR Resource will be piloted to a group of 150 prisoners.90 trainers/educators/professionals will participate in the PR piloting, and within the ToT, the VR Resource will be piloted to a group of 150 prisoners. On what concerns multiplier events alone, VISION will organise 2 and will gather a total of 180 participants, 15 stakeholders per event and two STJSTE that foresees to collect a total of 26 participants from sending organisations.<< Implementation >>The VISION project follows Erasmus+ structure and foresees five different Working Packages:•WP 1 – Project Management: a transversal set of activities lasting the entire project lifespan and include those to ensure project and risk management, communication and evaluation;•WP 2 – Research & Development: a set of activities that ensure coherent development of the proposed solutions according to the current unmet needs, both national and international and the setup of the prototypes for further piloting experience (PR1 and PR2);•WP 3 – Users’ Guides and Training Manuals: to ensure the proper suitability, usefulness, transferability and accessibility, it will be necessary to develop training manuals, pilot the training, including delivering the prototyped solutions (PR1 and PR2) to end-users (prisoners) and support their transition (PR3 and PR4);•WP 4 – Dissemination and Exploitation: based on the project’s PRs, the VISION partnership will focus on PRs sustainability: embedding on their daily activities and/or delivering knowledge, experience and practices transference actions pursuing project potential mainstreaming.PROJECT RESULTS 1. MAPPING PRISONERS MOTIVATION ASSESSMENT AND ENROLMENT STRATEGIESActivity 01-1: Development of mapping frameworks: motivation assessment and enrolment strategies (brief literature overview)Activity 01-2: Development of data collection design process and roll-outActivity 01-3: Motivation assessment and enrolment strategies online toolPROJECT RESULTS 2. ENROLMENT AND MOTIVATION VIRTUAL REALITY RESOURCEActivity 02-1: Selection VR suitable software for scenarios designActivity 02-2: Selection of VET priorities for scenarios design Activity 02-3: Development of VR scenarios and outcome analysis gridActivity 02-4: Piloting and fine-tuning VR resourcePROJECT RESULTS 3. VR RESOURCE USER MANUALActivity 03-1: Review on VR resource piloting and manual structure designActivity 03-2: Drafting the Manual: definition of requirements, selecting information and co-designing guidelines and instructions Activity 03-3: Piloting with professionals (different from the first pilot)Activity 03-4: Fine-tuning VR resource manualPROJECT RESULTS 4. TRAIN THE TRAINERS (ToT)Activity 04-1: Review pilots from PR2 and PR3 (PR 04-2: Design the ToT)Activity 04-3: Piloting with professionals (same from other PR)Activity 04-4: Fine-tuning ToT programme<< Results >>The project aims to mitigate one of the most felt difficulties of prisoners’ post-release, which is obtaining rewarding employment. For this purpose, we seek to develop prisoners’ competencies through VET programmes, supported by the application of VR technology. This rehabilitation intervention predicts the achievement of positive outcomes by developing an adequate training programme for educators/trainers which, therefore, will provide the necessary training prisoners need.Consequently, by achieving the proposed goals of the project, we will support prisoners in being better prepared to find and retain a job, leading to successful social reintegration and the avoidance of reincarceration.Specifically, the project aims to reach the following results:1. Increase the level of quality and attractiveness (adherence) to VET programmes through the adoption of VR (creating and adapting different virtual scenarios related to course enrolment and motivation);2. Increase retention in VET programmes (i.e., the length of time they are enrolled, as well as their participation willingness, contributing to prisoners’ educational/vocational skills development);3. Increase prisoners’ key competencies and level of success in VET programmes, leading, therefore, to an employability rate increase (i.e., prisoners’ preparation for labour market integration, employment post-release), and to a social/vocational reintegration. With this goal we consequently expect an increasing reincarceration avoidance;4. Developing a training programme for trainers/educators on how to deliver the VR programme (depending on the needs of each individual prisoner) and improve their skills to train prisoners (knowledge transference).Furthermore, we expect to deliver the produced outputs to:- At least 125 prisoner’s potential enrolled in VET programmes, 25 from each country;- At least 90 professionals engaged in VET: trainers, prison educators and other practitioners (e.g., NGOs), 15 from each country; Resource will be piloted to a group of 150 prisoners;- At least 150 stakeholders, being 30 from each country;- Introduce in the activities of 5 VET providers across the 5 participant countries, some of the public and with legal competencies..Project results: PR1 Mapping Prisoners Motivation Assessment and Enrolment Strategies. PR2. Enrolment and Motivation Virtual Reality Resource. PR3. VR Resource User Manual. PR4. Train The Trainers (ToT).The VISION project can be divided into its prisoners, practitioners: trainers, prison educators and professionals from NGO's and relevant stakeholders. VISION looks to promote VET enrolment and success of prisoners, better preparing them for society re-entry.Therefore, the project foresees the following impacts:EXPECTED IMPACT A - increase prisoners enrolment rate in VET opportunities while in prison and increase their motivation and contribute to their adhesion into a lifelong learning mindset.EXPECTED IMPACT B - contribute to decreasing prisoners info exclusion by giving them contact with an edge technology such as Virtual Reality (VR) and empower them to gain control of their future path by enhancing their capacity to visualise what will be their gain by accessing VET opportunities.EXPECTED IMPACT C - enhance the digital competencies of those professionals and stakeholders in the use of VR to support motivational strategies and disadvantaged groups with multiple exclusion factors and barriers.EXPECTED IMPACT D - introduce an edge technology in the major VET providers at National and European levels that increases the capacity for future investment, builds case studies to be shared and use in advocacy processes and builds on towards the digitalisation in a very complex and difficult environment.