Name of the project and Sub-Objective of the PEOPLE project CRIMINAL RETURN INTO SOCIETY (CRIS) Civil society empowerment (SO6) & Social & e-inclusion (SO4) CRIS is a unique association of former criminals and addicts standing for honesty, freedoms from drugs, comradeship and solidarity. It aims at prevention ex-criminals social exclusion and provides social adaptation for people released from prison. CRIS has local associations.

Objectives of the project - to provide equal opportunities for life for all society members including former criminals and addicts; - to contribute to the process of social adaptation of people recently released from prison, - to increase social awareness and sensibility for vulnerable social groups; - to hold different trainings in cooperation with public institutions looking for new possibilities of ex- prisoners social inclusion; - to promote transparent forms of participation in the decision making for all members and all others who are on the CRIS premises can take part in any CRIS activity, - to cooperate with other good forces within the community as long as the cooperation’s in line with its views and purposes by creation of sectoral networks with other CSOs and public authorities.

Beneficiaries (involved & concerned) Approximately 5500 members. CRIS’s target group is ex-criminals and addicts who have decided to start a new life and get back into society. Three different kinds of partnership: Normal member (who has earlier committed a crime); Supportive member (a person who is not qualified for ‘normal member”); Member of honor (a person who has been elected by the annual meeting in a CRIS association) with different participation fees.

Results of the project Ex-criminals have found their roles in the society after their release from jail. The existence of CRIS has helped to decrease crime. The collaboration with public authorities has made a significant contribution to the process of common decision-making and elaboration of new piloting initiatives to prevent social exclusion of former criminals and to support social adaptation of vulnerable society groups by providing them a wide-range of new life possibilities including the participation in CRIS.

Strengths of the project Unique character of the project; Sustainability of the project; Multilevel financing; Broad social orientation; Involvement of public authorities, public institutions, business community; Development of social inclusion process.

Success factors of the project CRIS attached great significance to ex-prisoners, large category of vulnerable population groups, and stimulated public authorities, business and academic communities to strengthen cooperation aiming the elaboration of new strategies of former criminals social adaptation.

Problems encountered CRIS provides help only for the prisoners who ask for the pick-up by themselves. So the organisation doesn't work with non-motivated prisoners. Wide-range CRIS activities during last years claim for additional financing support.

Conclusions (for the future) A good model where cooperation of civil society organisations positively empowered and involved by public authorities, with the aim to set up and qualify public services for the most disadvantaged groups. The existence of CRIS has helped to decrease criminality. This innovative social project is already widely spread in the Nordic Countries and introduced in Russia.

Continuation of the project CRIS has already local associations throughout Sweden. This example of effective CSO and public authority cooperation which is based on common decision-making and partnership.

Replication of the project The unique CRIS practice may be transferred under different conditions to different regions. The model is efficient for different kinds of social adaptation processes and can be carried out in social sectors of number of countries. It provides extensive experience based on work with vulnerable society groups and shows the possibilities of effective empowerment of civil society to set up innovative methods and mechanisms to support the inclusion and solidarity across different social groups and improve the community cohesion especially.