WISH-EU

The Working in Small Scale Detention Houses in Europe (WISH-EU) project, supported by the European Commission, began in March 2022. It brings together a consortium of European associations that are members of the RESCALED (European movement for detention houses) network: Vzw De Huizen (Belgium, project co-ordinator), Stichting Restorative Justice Nederland (Netherlands), FARAPEJ (France) and RESHAPE (Portugal). Through WISH-EU, RESCALED members support the development of detention houses and small-scale correctional facilities in Europe.

The project centralised and disseminated existing information on the implementation of small-scale detention facilities in Europe and their practices relating to the concepts of community integration and dynamic security. The partners then engaged in conversations with members of the academic community, professionals, policymakers and people with lived experience in various European countries. These exchanges, carried out within interdisciplinary working groups, encouraged long-term cooperation at national and European levels. On the basis of this information, the partners developed European Rules on Detention Houses, published in October 2023, and drew up European Guidelines on Relational Security in Small-Scale Forms of Detention, published in November 2023.

Prison Insider’s contributions in support of this project included researching, producing, disseminating and communicating information. The platform identified relevant topics mentioned in the “deprivation of liberty and society” working groups, conducted interviews with people with proven expertise, updated the European country profiles and created content on the subject.

In particular, Prison Insider produced the series of articles Changing the Scale, which offers critical perspectives on the creation of alternative forms of detention. As part of the project, team members visited small-scale detention facilities in several European countries. The data collected served as the basis for the creation of an interactive map showing the locations visited.