English

About us

The Association for Probation and Mediation in Justice (SPJ) is a civil association founded in 1994 for the purpose of supporting new and alternative forms of resolving criminal issues.

Our mission is to support constructive conflict resolving inside the community as a tool for crime prevention and control.

Areas of work:
  • developing methods for resolving criminal disputes which address the interests and needs of the victim, the offender, and their social environment
  • building safe environments
  • prevention of re-offending
Types of programs:
  • innovative projects to bring new effective approaches and know-how
  • multidisciplinary and multiagency co-operation
  • informational and consultation service
  • trainings and educational activities

History and Achievements

The SPJ is a holder of the International Community Justice Award, presented in London by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal in year 2000.

The SPJ co-operates with the Czech Probation and Mediation Service (CPMS), which is established under the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for serving alternative sentences. The SPJ is an important partner for the CPMS, participating in professional training of CPMS staff and carrying out pilots of new approaches to resolving criminal cases. The SPJ has made a major contribution towards creating conditions for building the CPMS and is a co-author of the system and content of training for CPMS officers and assistants, which have been incorporated into the CPMS’ training policy.

SPJ is always interested in know-how from abroad and its application in the Czech Republic. Key SPJ international partner organization that is also its supporter and mentor is Verein zur Entwicklung der Bewährungshilfe in Osteuropa (VEBO, Association for the Development of Probation in Eastern Europe) based in Zurich, Switzerland.

SPJ is a member of the CEP - The European Organisation for Probation . Our representative Lenka Ouředníčková was elected as the CEP vice president in 2005 - 2007.

The SPJ has provided consulting and training related to the introduction of alternative sentences in the following countries: Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. The SPJ also co-operates with international partners in France, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain (Catalonia), and Switzerland.

The SPJ currently employs more than forty Romany mentors, who make possible the successful work with Romany clients who have been in conflict with the law.

Financing

Most of the SPJ’s activities are performed through projects financed from diverse sources. Significant donor and supporter of SPJ is Verein zur Entwicklung der Bewährungshilfe in Osteuropa Zűrich that founded in Institut for Probation and Mediation to provide platform for development of several SPJ activities and project and for transfer of Swiss know-how in field of community sanctions. Other main donors are: the European Social Fund, Czech state budget, and Prague city budget.

Programs

“Mentor” service
Individual support and counselling for offenders, provided by a trained layman, the mentor. Mentors encourage their clients to meet the conditions ordered by the court, support them in returning from prison to ordinary life, act as intermediaries between the client and institutions (Czech Probation and Mediation Service, Labour Office, employers, creditors). Mentors co-operate with the client’s family and his/her social environment.

Programmes for offenders:
High-quality programmes for both juvenile and adult offenders who have been given non-custodial sentences or released from prison. In these programmes they learn to control their behaviour in high-risk situations and to develop skills necessary for the labour market. The programme content is connected with real-life situations and is geared to developing the clients’ strengths.

Professional training:
Training courses and supervision for social service professionals (communication skills, mediation, introduction to criminal law, training skills). The SPJ trains laymen for mentoring and trainers for offenders’ programmes (“T4T”) and facilitates their further professional development (supervision).

Professional consulting and library services:
The SPJ provides training and develops services relating to debt prevention and recovery, employment of people with criminal history, and co-operation with employers. The SPJ has over 650 specialist publications on social work in criminal justice which can be borrowed by the public.

Contact

Sdružení pro probaci a mediaci v justici, o.s.
Association for Probation and Mediation in Justice (SPJ)
address: Korunní 101, Prague 3, 130 00
phone: +420 296 180 297-8
mail: institut@spj.cz
web: www.spj.cz

Dokuments in english