Learning gaps in criminal justice system in Norway

Project Information

GAPSLE

Grant agreement ID: 894280

DOI

10.3030/894280

Project closed

EC signature date 16 April 2020

Start date 3 August 2020

End date 2 August 2022

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 202 158,72

EU contribution

€ 202 158,72

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGER
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GAPSLE (Learning gaps in criminal justice system in Norway)

Reporting period: 2020-08-03 to 2022-08-02

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

GAPSLE is an interdisciplinary project that studies learning within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Success in a national CJS system is typically measured by reoffending rates. High reoffending rates are both costly and threatens public safety. Previous studies show that to provide effective and efficient services, prison staff should be trained to learn and gain knowledge about how to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines and also within own discipline.

Collaborative learning interventions (developing work together in workplaces) are suggested to provide more purposeful learning experiences than individual training programmes (participating a course) as well as promote work-related well-being. In Norway, a recent study identified challenges around learning activities. This fellowship will respond to this call. It will describe the current state of collaborative learning efforts focusing on obstacles and good practice. GAPSLE will offer new methods and insights to the interdisciplinary field of criminology and workplace learning and potentially inform and impact CJS practice, policy and research with aims to reduce reoffending rates, and make Europe a more secure society.

The importance of collaborative learning and collabortion between different professional groups were emphasised in the findings.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Total of 36 interviews were conducted to collect views and experiences around their education and continuing professional development of prison officers. Ten prison officer students and their supervisors participated in the study in Norway. To complement the data 19 CJS professionals in Finland were interviewed, seven of them twice. In Finland the study focused on developing a new way of working in prisons.

In Norway, the study showed that the interviewed prison officer students were satisfied with their education. Learning in collaboration with other students was viewed as a good way to learn and also to learn how to collaborate. Regarding continuing professional development of prison officers, the most discussed learning needs were around communication and mental health issues. The importance of collaborating and learning together with other professional groups, with mental health professionals in particular was expressed. The significance of working together with the key actors, the third sector organisations and municipalities in particular, were expressed but there were also concerns over the possibility that due to the decreasing resources and involvement of external actors, prison officers’ role would again become static focusing on control and punishment.

In the Finnish case, the importance of informal and collaborative learning, and working together with different professional groups was emphasised. Yet, hierarchical structures and working in silos were considered a challenge.

An unexpected finding of the project in both countries was the expressed need to develop services for female prisoners.

An integrative literature review on prison officers’ learning was conducted pointing to a lack of research on prison officers’ continuing professional development.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Traditionally, workplace learning has been individual skills-based and course-based training for staff to fill competence gaps defined by the management. As work contexts are becoming more complex, it is more difficult to define skills staff should possess to manage their jobs. Over the last decades the theories have expanded from a focus on individuals to encompass multiple types of collaborative learning pointing to needs to take into account wider aspects of learning. Expected results are

1) framework describing current practice in organizational learning and development of social innovations within CJS

2) framework that helps CJS practitioners and decisionmakers identify obstacles impeding work and system development and learning within CJS,

3) explore readiness to engage in collaborative learning interventions and development of social innovations and

4) identify collaborative organizational learning activities among different occupational groups and creation of social innovations in prisons.

The results will contribute to reduction of reoffending rates and work-based well-being of staff. The expected results will be exploited by practitioners, educators and decisionmakers within CJS to support in reviewing and designing learning events and strategies, and academics in the field of workplace learning to develop methodologies. Furthermore, they are expected to raise interest among layperson who have interest towards prison work, prison services and issues contributing to a safer society.

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