Colab is a group of researchers exploring challenges related to poor mental health among criminals and prison inmates, something that might affect social security and the risk of new crimes.
COLAB: Collaboration within Criminal Justice Services
EU Horizon 2020 MSCA RISE-project (734536)
30
2017-2022
10 institutions across 7 European countries
18
Academic practice partnerships are crucial in developing social innovations that serve the most vulnerable in society. Colab is such a partnership.
About Colab
The research project studies effective collaboration between health, welfare and the criminal justice services, and its impact on prisoners' health, wellbeing and chances of remaining crime-free upon release.
Offender rehabilitation is a key strategy employed by criminal justice systems internationally to support education, employment, drug treatment and other interventions to aid offenders’ effective reintegration into society. The offender’s mental health mediates the success with which they engage in these interventions and eventually desist from further criminal behaviour. Most of the prison population suffer a mental health condition of some form, and this condition is a major challenge to maintaining the security of prisoners and prison staff.
Addressing these needs of the prison population requires professionals from health, welfare and criminal justice services to collaborate effectively. The quality of integration and collaboration between services impacts on reoffending rates, the financial and emotional costs incurred by the offender, the victims, their families and the taxpayer in supporting prison and health services.
Projects
The researchers of Colab undertake a range of different projects and studies. These are organised in two research areas which you can explore below.
Exploring collaborative practices in a variety of criminal justice contexts
In the various projects, different parts of the Norwegian and English prison models are studied, both within the criminal justice system and in the transition from prison to community. An Ethiopian study also explores how previously imprisoned mothers experience motherhood after prison.
Full name of the research area: "Exploring collaborative practices in a variety of criminal justice contexts: substantive areas for organisational innovation and change". The area consists of nine studies developed in three countries.
How can we promote collaboration, management and innovation when working with vulnerable groups?
The various projects explore different strategies and methods for rehabilitation work, risk assessment, user participation, collaboration and management within criminal justice and other institutions working with vulnerable groups.
Full name of the research area: "Strategies and methods to promote collaboration, management and innovation". The area consists of nine projects.