Detention houses have emerged on the
local, national and, more recently, even the European level, attracting the attention of
policymakers, researchers, practitioners and civil society. These
detention houses are based on three principles that reinforce each other: small-scale,
differentiation and community-integration. If people are to be
deprived of their liberty as a pre-trial measure or as a sentence, a
detention house provides the right context for each individual. To
fully grasp the value and potential of detention houses, we need to
look beyond their observable features (like their scale or location)
and consider all dimensions of their ecosystem. This blog text will
explain this ecosystem approach and how this can be applied to
justice reform.
Detention houses as healthy ecosystems
The ecosystem of a detention house is
shaped by the individuals that are connected to the detention house,
their communities and society as a whole, which all mutually
influence each other. Incarcerated people mostly stay at the
detention house, while staff members come and go on a daily basis.
Visitors may enter for a shorter period of time and then leave
again, which is also the case for psychologists, teachers, and
social workers. Incarcerated people may also leave the detention
houses to go to school and return in the evening, for example. All
the individuals involved interact in a web of relationships,
together shaping the social environment in and around the detention
house. These relationships can be facilitated, or impeded or
blocked, by other features like architectural design, work and
education opportunities, psychosocial support, staff well-being, the
use of technology etc. Considering all these dimensions in and
around a detention house in a holistic way is what we call the
ecosystem perspective on detention houses. In healthy ecosystems,
all different elements reinforce each other when they interact to
form an effective and harmonious system. For example, when the
design helps to create a constructive social climate, when staff
members contribute to relational security, when neighbouring schools
are supported to include incarcerated people among their students
etc. The reverse can also happen: a disruptive factor can throw the
ecosystem out of balance.
Towards safe, sustainable and inclusive societies
The ecosystem of a detention house is not
limited to the physical boundaries of the detention house, nor is it
limited to the boundaries of the criminal justice system. On the
contrary, it exists at the junction of other ecosystems: that of the
criminal justice system, the health care and mental health care
system, the education system, the employment system etc. These
different ecosystems interact and overlap, just as the ecosystems of
forests and lakes do in nature. Such a holistic approach to
detention houses is needed because of the complex nature of the
social challenges they are facing and trying to meet. Crime and its
root causes find their origin in the complexity of social issues.
Therefore, societal reactions to crime cannot be isolated from the
society. At the same time, it is clear that part of the current
pressure on the criminal justice system is due to shortcomings in
other systems, such as the mental health care system. These
pressures cannot be solved by detention houses if not addressed
holistically. The key is therefore to involve society in the
implementation of detention houses and appeal to the shared
responsibilities of justice, health care, mental health care,
education, employment and other relevant systems in society.
Increasing the know-how on detention houses
So, how to grasp this ecosystem of a
detention house? That journey has been kicked off on 20 March 2024,
with more than 80 experts from across Europe, discussing 14
different topics related to detention houses and exploring their
interconnectedness. The experts’ insights have informed the
establishment of various Knowledge Workspaces managed by RESCALED,
which are designed to dive into specific topics while always
considering the broader ecosystem of a detention house. Each
Knowledge Workspace serves as a space for connections between
research, practice and policy, as well as different perspectives and
backgrounds. These connections foster new insights, shared
understanding and innovative solutions, and this know-how can
subsequently support the implementation of detention houses in
Europe, with continuous reflection and improvement of the existing
knowledge. It is only through this comprehensive and systemic
approach that we can be confident that the justice reform from large
prison institutions to detention houses contributes to more
inclusive, safe and sustainable societies.
We look forward to spearheading this
process with the RESCALED Movement!
