Blog VOLONTE

On the first of July 2026, we are launching a new project. It is called VOL Active Fatherhood, and for two years it will address a topic that has long been overlooked in Czech society: what happens to fatherhood when a father is behind bars? Imprisonment doesn't end at the prison gates Every year, more than ten thousand people are imprisoned in the Czech Republic. Some of them are fathers — men who have children at home. Children who are waiting for them. Or who gradually sto

A project combining requalification training, counselling and a human approach has successfully completed its implementation. On 30 April 2026, we closed a chapter that stands behind real stories of people who were looking for a way back — to the labour market, to financial stability, to greater certainty for themselves and their families. The VOL Employment II project (reg. no. CZ.03.01.01/00/22_032/0001122) was designed from the outset to address the real barriers preventin

On 17 May 2026, we joined children of incarcerated parents at the "2x 45 Minutes" event organised for us by SK Slavia Praha. The programme was symbolically divided into two halves. In the first part, the children enjoyed a football training session on Slavia's training pitches under the guidance of experienced coaches. They tried a variety of football drills, games and competitions, and had the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the environment where young footballer

On 4 and 5 June 2026, the first part of the training course Working with Violence and Emotions took place at the Academy of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic. The course is designed for Prison Service staff. The opening two-day session was attended by 10 prison employees, including psychologists and therapist-educators. The course was led by Jan Drobný and Monika Farkašová from the organisation LOM, who have long been dedicated to the topics of working with violence, e

Tomáš "Fénix" Franek The Pizza Chef Course at Všehrdy Prison came together through the collaboration of several key players: VOLONTÉ, which runs the course, Všehrdy Prison, which supports its organisational delivery, and the duo of Jonáš Motyčka (Správný start) and Tomáš "Fénix" Franek (Food Addictors), who were behind the partnership and the teaching itself. We are publishing this interview during the pilot run of the course — five participants completed the programme betwee

Over the course of April and May 2026, the GLM+ project saw four expert events take place — events that together reflect the breadth and depth of the work behind this project, from the systematic development of implementation teams' competencies, through institutional collaboration, to work with demanding therapeutic themes. Training in ACUTE-2007 and STABLE-2007 Tools – 27 April 2026, NUDZ Klecany The first event of this period was a training session for implementation teams

Following the successful pilot course at Všehrdy Prison, which was completed this January by five participants, VOLONTÉ continues to expand its barber training programme to additional prisons. On 4 May 2026, a new barber course was officially launched at Jiřice Prison. Participants will undergo 40 hours of professional training, concluded by a final examination; upon successful completion, they will receive an official certificate to support their reintegration into the labou

On Friday, 2 May 2026, Bělušice Prison hosted an event called A Magical Children's Day. Five incarcerated fathers were able to spend an afternoon in the spirit of a traditional witches' celebration with their children and extended family. The event continues the successful series of VOLONTÉ Children's Days from last year and opens a new season of activities whose purpose is to preserve the bond between an incarcerated parent and their child. A Magical Children's Day was a fam

After the successful pilot barber course at Všehrdy Prison, VOLONTÉ CZECH, o.p.s. continues to expand its practical vocational training programmes for people serving prison sentences. In April 2026, we launched a new course — this time focused on training pizza chefs — while simultaneously bringing the proven barber course model to another facility: Jiřice Prison. Both courses were developed in collaboration with Jonáš Motyčka and his project Správný start (Right Start), whic

A new VOLONTÉ project helps people in Most and the Mostecko region – including those behind the walls of Bělušice Prison – find a way out of the debt trap. According to current data from the Czech Enforcement Chamber's Execution Map, Most, a city of nearly 66,000 residents, has more than 9,000 people currently subject to debt enforcement – roughly one in six residents. Behind these figures are not anonymous statistics, but real human stories: a lost job, illness in the family