Foundation Give the Hand

Project idea

"TOWARDS FREEDOM: Step by Step" is an innovative project designed for individual and comprehensive support of adolescents serving sentences in juvenile correctional facilities (JCF). The project is focused on preparing for life in freedom ahead of the end of the prison term. As part of the project, 16 young men from the Arkhangelsk JCF are given the opportunity to develop a specific step-by-step action plan for successful adaptation to life in society.

The main goal of the project is to prepare teenagers for life in freedom by providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to overcome the challenges of the adaptation period. This includes psychological support, professional counseling, and assistance in determining future educational and career paths.

To achieve the set goals, the project provides for a three-month individual mentorship program for each teenager. Specialists — a psychologist and a career guidance coach — work with participants online, conducting diagnostic sessions to determine their current position (point A) and develop an individual route (point B). During the support process, specialists help teenagers work through psychological issues, identify and develop their strengths, and determine directions for education or employment after release. Additionally, the project includes consultations with parents, the provision of a certificate of participation in the project, and a recommendation letter from the foundation and the project team. Participants remain wards of the Foundation after their release.

Relevance

Teenagers in detention facilities represent a vulnerable group facing particular challenges in adapting to life outside. Their reintegration into society is crucial for their future, the well-being of their families, and society as a whole. 

According to the Federal Penitentiary Service, in 2022, there were 842 teenagers in juvenile correctional facilities. Their problems go beyond the personal sphere, affecting families, loved ones, and society.

Within the framework of “TOWARDS FREEDOM: Step by Step” project, the foundation identified three main areas of concern for teenagers in correctional facilities:

• Psychological support (overcoming fears, building relationships).
• Support in organizing life after release.
• Support in professional and personal development. 

To meet these needs, the project offers a personalized approach: 

• Individual support for adolescents: preparation for release, taking into account individual needs and circumstances.
• Working with parents: preparing for the teenager's return home, smoothing out family issues. 

A group of 16 teenagers is participating in the pilot project. This amount helps ensure quality support and monitor the program's effectiveness.

The project “TOWARDS FREEDOM: Step by Step” holds high social significance because it: 

• Helps facilitate the successful resocialization of teenagers who have served their sentences.
• Reduces the risks of recurrence and negative consequences for society.
• Strengthens families and promotes community well-being.

Contributes to building a society where teenagers with a criminal past have the opportunity for restoration and to become full-fledged members of the community.

Social effect

Creates conditions for the successful rehabilitation of minors released from a correctional facility in the Arkhangelsk region, as well as their social and labor integration into society.