Knowledge Management System

1. Do you have small scale forms of detention in your country run by the prison administration?

We have open prisons - half way houses 20-30 inmates

2. Does your academy provide training for staff working in a small-scale prison or small scale detention facility? If no, go to question 4.

no

3. If yes, can you mention these trainings by name, how long these take and if possible add a link to a website with more information? (does not have to be in English).

4. What trainings do you still miss within your training academy when it comes to working in a small-scale detention setting?

In a small unit where there are only 20 convicts, daily life is very tight. Employees and officials communicate directly with convicts on a daily basis.
Communication training, group psychology and management, understanding the relationships between convicts, as they also communicate very closely with each other, establishing and following clear rules for group life, noticing disagreements among convicts, managing them

5. What competences, skills should staff have when working in a small-scale form of detention? Is this different for staff when working in a large scale prison?

Such employees need very good communication skills, they need to know how to maintain boundaries and not become too close. Officials must also keep in mind the requirements for ensuring security. The risk is that it may give the impression that it is safe with so few convicts. There is a need for training and discussion on these topics. If officers come to work in such a small unit from a large prison, they may not be able to interact with the inmate so closely, they may tend to be too strict and keep too much distance.

1. Do you have small scale forms of detention in your country run by the prison administration?

No

2. Does your academy provide training for staff working in a small-scale prison or small scale detention facility? If no, go to question 4.

no

3. If yes, can you mention these trainings by name, how long these take and if possible add a link to a website with more information? (does not have to be in English).

Not applicable

4. What trainings do you still miss within your training academy when it comes to working in a small-scale detention setting?

Not applicable

5. What competences, skills should staff have when working in a small-scale form of detention? Is this different for staff when working in a large scale prison?

Not applicable

1. Do you have small scale forms of detention in your country run by the prison administration?

Not in general.

There is just one smaller-scale prison facility within a large-scale prison in Jiřice.
This facility accommodates 32 inmates at a small area. It consists of 4 separate houses and each of them accommodates 8 inmates. The regime is not so strict there. Inmates ready to leave prison soon are placed there.

2. Does your academy provide training for staff working in a small-scale prison or small scale detention facility? If no, go to question 4.

no

3. If yes, can you mention these trainings by name, how long these take and if possible add a link to a website with more information? (does not have to be in English).

4. What trainings do you still miss within your training academy when it comes to working in a small-scale detention setting?

All prison staff is trained the same way. No trainings are missed.

5. What competences, skills should staff have when working in a small-scale form of detention? Is this different for staff when working in a large scale prison?

dealing with small groups of people

1. Do you have small scale forms of detention in your country run by the prison administration?

the release centres, the young offenders institutes and the remand prisons of less than 100 inmates can be considered small scale detention in the French context.

2. Does your academy provide training for staff working in a small-scale prison or small scale detention facility? If no, go to question 4.

no

3. If yes, can you mention these trainings by name, how long these take and if possible add a link to a website with more information? (does not have to be in English).

4. What trainings do you still miss within your training academy when it comes to working in a small-scale detention setting?

There is no need expressed for training specific to small scale detention (only for the specialty of the detention. For example a specific training for young offenders institutes)

5. What competences, skills should staff have when working in a small-scale form of detention? Is this different for staff when working in a large scale prison?

Staff working in a small scale establishments must demonstrate more versatility than agents assigned to a large scale establishments who are more specialized in tasks. However, skills do not differ.

1. Do you have small scale forms of detention in your country run by the prison administration?

There are a total of 90 prisons in Switzerland, with capacities ranging from 6 to 399 places (mean val-ue: 80, median value: 56). Of a total of 90 prisons, 42 facilities (47%) have a capacity of less than 50 places, 26 facilities (29%) less than 30 places. The data come from our Prison Monitoring: https://www.skjv.ch/fr/nos-services/monitorage-de-la-privation-de-liberte

Name Capacity (July 2023)

Gefängnis Muttenz 48
Gefängnis Winterthur 48
Arxhof Massnahmenzentrum für junge Erwachsene 46
Massnahmenzentrum Kalchrain 46
Penitenziario Cantonale "Lo Stampino" 46
Regionalgefängnis Altstätten 45
Regionalgefängnis Biel 44
Kantonale Strafanstalt Zug 43
Etablissement du Simplon 40
Halbgefangenschaft Winterthur 38
Kantonales Gefängnis Schaffhausen 38
Bezirksgefängnis Zofingen 37
Établissement de détention pour des mineurs et jeunes adultes Aux Léchaires 36
Untersuchungsgefängnis Olten 36
Kantonsgefängnis SSB Schwyz 33
Gefängnis Liestal 32
Centre éducatif de détention et d'observation - La Clairière 30
Prison régionale de Moutier 30
Bezirksgefängnis Baden 25
Gefängnis Arlesheim 25
Centre éducatif fermé de Pramont 24
Etablissement ouvert Le Vallon 24
Gefängnis St. Gallen 24
Untersuchungs- und Strafgefängnis Stans 24
Bezirksgefängnis Aarau 23
Bezirksgefängnis Kulm 23
Etabl. concordataire de détention admin. de Frambois 20
Etablissement de Favra 20
Untersuchungsgefängnis Brig 20
Établissement ouvert de Villars 19
Kantonales Untersuchungsgefängnis Klosterhof 18
Prison de Porrentruy 18
Vollzugszentrum Klosterfiechten 18
Prison de Delémont 14
Kantonales Gefängnis Glarus 13
Prison de Porrentruy, L Orangerie 13
Kantonales Gefängnis Appenzell AR 12
Regionales Untersuchungsgefängnis Kreuzlingen 11
Gefängnis Flums 10
Gefängnis Gossau 9
Gefängnis Sarnen 7
Gefängnis Appenzell 6

2. Does your academy provide training for staff working in a small-scale prison or small scale detention facility? If no, go to question 4.

yes

3. If yes, can you mention these trainings by name, how long these take and if possible add a link to a website with more information? (does not have to be in English).

Our trainings are intended for all prison staff; there is no distinction between staff of small-scale or large-scale detention facilities.

We offer prison officers a basic training lasting 15 weeks spread over two years while they are already working in a prison. It aims to impart the operational skills that enable profes-sionals to carry out their activity in the context of deprivation of liberty, and to prepare them for the federal professional examination. The study plan is based on the "Qualification Profile for Prison Officer " dated October 30, 2017. This profile makes no distinction between prison officers working in a small or large facility or with a specific function. With the acquisition of these skills, any prison officer should be able to work in any type of establishment.
https://www.skjv.ch/fr/formation/agente-de-detention/formation-de-base

All prison employees can benefit from our continuous training program: https://www.skjv.ch/fr/formation/formation-continue

4. What trainings do you still miss within your training academy when it comes to working in a small-scale detention setting?

As mentioned above, we dont' train differently staff of small or large institutions. Large pris-ons are mostly organized by smaller unities and demands on the staff are therefore similar. So we train the prison officers in the management of professional relationship, dynamic se-curity, vocational pedagogy, etc.
We would welcome a greater use of (peer) supervision on the job, but as a training center we have little influence on this.

5. What competences, skills should staff have when working in a small-scale form of detention? Is this different for staff when working in a large scale prison?

Regardless of the size of the detention facility, an important resource, in addition to knowledge and skills, is the "attitude and behavior" of staff, which must comply with interna-tional and national law (respect for human dignity and the protection of fundamental rights are guiding principles in working with people in detention).

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