Specific Programme “Criminal Justice” 2007-2013, DG Justice, European Commission
Title: Prevention of and fight against crime: a new initiative to identify best practices in the alternative measures & treatment programs and to organize a European prevention campaign for youth.
Acronym: SPRING
Total Budget: €290,771.43
Coordinator: Comunità Fanelli (Italy)
Partners:
• ISES (Italy),
• Bulgarian Gender Research Fundation (Bulgary)
• Interfusion Services (Cyprus)
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
Due to the need to reduce drugs-related crimes, recognized as an important policy objective in Europe, SPRING aims to contribute to prevention of this kind of crimes, in order to guarantee security and public order, and to reduce its social costs. In particular, SPRING actions will contribute to: fight recidivism of crimes committed by IDUs and drug addicted in urban contexts and in juvenile age; to reduce the number of new potentials drug users and therefore to reduce new potentials drug law offenders; to disseminate and exchange best practices about alternative measures & treatment programs (with a special attention to music therapy) and about prevention campaigns; and to promote the understanding of EU policies in this field, among local authorities and NGOs. SPRING intends to achieve these objectives by realizing firstly activities of analysis and research (in order to identify the best practices to exchange). In a second time, the results of the research activities will be applied into: a pilot action to validate the best practices identified in the use of music therapy and a European prevention campaign on information and awareness on drug risks addressed to young people. Additionally, in order to promote the understanding of EU policies on prevention of drugs-related crimes, SPRING will organize a workshop specially directed to national authorities and NGOs. Dissemination activities will play a key role: promotion of conferences, discussions and knowledge-base in which the results of the project will be presented will be the core of the project.
The project activities will last 36 months and will directly involve youngest adults (15-24 years old) drug law offenders under alternative measures & treatment programs, youngest adults in urban contexts to prevent them to drug use, national authorities and NGOs operating directly with drug law offenders.
OBJECTIVES
The project expects to contribute to the development of the Community policies related to the prevention of drugs-related crimes and to the identification and exchange of best practices between Member States. In particular, the main SPRING’s expected results are: a project web-site, a manual on best practices, a report on the pilot action, the material of the European Campaign, a workshop, a final conference, 1 network meeting, the project coordination and evaluation Skype conferences and all the final reports (technical, financial, evaluation and of the meetings and actions).
For more information you can refer to the Project's website: http://www.spring-project.eu/
