increasing the efficiency of alternative sanctions ROMA MENTORING increasing the efficiency of alternative sanctions

RUBIKON Centrum Programs to increase employability - Support of social stabilization - Job counseling - Cooperation with employers Programs to solve debts - Courses of financial literacy - Debt counseling Programs to increase efficiency of alternative sanctions - ROMA MENTORING - Programs for juvenile offenders Educational Services - Accredited courses of financial literacy and debt counseling - Expert services

Roma minority in the Czech Republic 150 – 300 000 Roma inhabitants (census 2001: 11 746 pop.; census 2011: 13 150 pop.) 85% Slovak (Hungarian) Roma (Rumungri) 10% Vlachike Roma (Olaši) 5% original Czech / Moravian Roma and Sinti 80 000 in socially excluded localities (more than 75% are Roma) 60% of Roma are unemployed 15 000 Jedi Knights Pozn.:

Roma Mentoring Intended for Roma clients of Probation and Mediation Service to encourage the clients to fulfill obligations related to alternative sentence or measure to lower risks of re-offending and social exclusion

Inspiration from Denmark Roma Mentoring Unique know-how Inspiration from Denmark more than 2200 clients 29 centres of PMS in 9 regions of CR average efficiency of intervention 50 % 142 mentors have been trained since 2004 evaluated by PMS every 2 months

Provided by Roma mentor: Trained layman from Roma community Roma Mentoring Provided by Roma mentor: Trained layman from Roma community Adult, no criminal record Strong interest to help his/her own people Graduate of specialized Mentor training course (60 hours -theory, 40 hours -practice) Pozn.:

Roma mentor´s tasks Motivating clients to fulfill the obligations related to alternative sentence (measure). Assisting and supporting clients in settling debts, seeking jobs, housing, etc. Linking clients with other providers of professional services in the region. Assisting clients in communicating with the authorities, institutions (and vice versa) Pozn.:

Roma Mentor: role and methods of work Success of the scheme is based on: Cultural, language and ethnic closeness between mentor and his client. Mentor´s ability to communicate with officials and representatives of majority. Mentor´s ability to connect both sides, make communication “bridge” between client and institution. Pozn.:

Obstacles to fulfillment of alternative sanction Communication barrier Spatial barrier Subjective barriers inability to contact a client

MENTOR´S PERSONALITY: SPECIFIC TOOLS Main success factors MENTOR´S PERSONALITY: SPECIFIC TOOLS INDIVIDUAL APPROACH FIELD WORK WIDE SOCIAL NETWORK KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY PERSONAL AUTHORITY INFORMAL APPROACH

Roma mentor as communication bridge „translate“ from bureaucratic language explain the obligations and consequences eliminate the myths info about cultural and social context of client´s situation understanding of clients motivations eliminate the stereotypes CLIENTS PMS ROMA MENTOR

Roma mentor: role and methods of work Roma mentor is able to: gain clients´ trust, break through existing barriers, communicate with clients in their own language, efficiently explain obligations resulting from alternative sentence motivate clients to fulfill them to avoid the consequences. Pozn.:

Roma mentor: role and methods of work Roma mentor is also able to: deal and communicate with officials and institutions, link the clients with other providers of professional services in the region, help officials to understand and orientate in Roma community. Pozn.:

Roma mentor: role and methods of work Roma mentor works as a: Positive role model (on both sides) Cross cultural mediator and communication link Necessary principles: Building and cherishing mutual trust Equal professional relationships Gentle insistence on rules Pozn.:

Roma Mentoring – low-threshold service Helps increase the potential of Roma minority, as it gives the Roma people who haven´t attained vocational education the opportunity to participate on social work for their own community. During their work with clients and supervisions they improve their skills professionally and personally grow and improve their position on job market. Pozn.:

Roma Mentoring – possibilities 2005 – 2012 applied on other target groups/programs: - ex-prisoner reintegration - empowering of endangered Roma families - crime and extremism prevention - monitoring hate crime incidents, helping the victims Future possibilities of use in areas of: - Roma / non-Roma conflict resolution, - employment and job creation Pozn.:

Current situation Projects financed by European Social Fund 2016–2019 (3 years) 19 centers of PMS in 8 regions app. 35 mentors + 30 newly trained mentors

Roma Mentoring – future? Pozn.:

Thank you for you attention! RUBIKON Centrum Korunní 101, 130 00 Praha 3 Czech Republic Web: http://www.rubikoncentrum.cz/ Pozn.: