Risk Assessment, Programme Fidelity and Victim Empathy: An Intensive Spring Period in the GLM+ Project

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 from the participating prisons, focused on the risk assessment tools ACUTE-2007 and STABLE-2007. The training took place at the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) in Klecany and was led by NUDZ specialists.

Both tools capture dynamic risk factors in offenders of sexually motivated crimes — factors that change over time and allow therapeutic intervention to be tailored to the individual. For the GLM+ programme to function as designed, staff at the participating prisons need to genuinely understand these tools — not only in theory, but in real-world practice.

Risk assessment is not a bureaucratic formality. It is the foundation without which it is impossible to work with the risk of reoffending in an individualised way. Training in ACUTE-2007 and STABLE-2007 is part of the systematic capacity building that is one of the key activities within the GLM+ project.

Round Tables on Risk Assessment – 14 May 2026, NUDZ Klecany

On 14 May 2026, also at the National Institute of Mental Health in Klecany, expert round tables were held focused on the integration of risk assessment into work with offenders of sexually motivated crimes. The event was hybrid — some participants attended in person, others joined online.

The discussion brought together representatives of institutions from the fields of justice, security, healthcare and specialist therapeutic practice — including the Czech Prison Service, the Probation and Mediation Service, the National Institute of Mental Health and other expert organisations.

The round tables opened up key questions: how to share information about offender risk across institutions, how to make practical use of available risk assessment tools, and what opportunities exist for further collaboration within the broader system of work with offenders of sexually motivated crimes. Coordinated cooperation between different actors — and the ability to share relevant information across institutions — is one of the essential conditions for this system to function in a coherent and effective way.

Training in the STATIC Tool and Evaluation of Feedback from the First Pilot Run – 18 May 2026, NUDZ Klecany

Four days later, on 18 May 2026, the implementation team returned to NUDZ in Klecany for a training session focused on the STATIC risk assessment tool, again led by NUDZ specialists.

Alongside the training itself, the team also evaluated feedback from the first pilot run of the GLM+ programme — this time in collaboration with the teams from each of the participating prisons. This evaluation is an important part of the project's formative evaluation process: findings from the pilot feed directly into the further development of the programme and its implementation, so that the resulting system reflects the realities of practice as closely as possible.

Training in Sexological Therapy Modules – 19 May 2026, NUDZ Klecany

The fourth event of this period was a training session for the implementation team on the sexological modules of the GLM+ therapeutic programme. The focus was on two substantively demanding topics: the module on the conclusion of the therapeutic programme, and the Victim Empathy module.

Both modules are among those that require not only professional readiness from therapists and the wider implementation team, but also a sensitive and dignified approach to the subject matter. Working with victim empathy is one of the cornerstones of the GLM+ approach — grounded in the conviction that developing the capacity to understand the impact of one's own actions is an essential part of meaningful and lasting change.

Four Events, One Shared Direction

Four events over the course of less than a month — seemingly varied, in reality closely interconnected. Training in the ACUTE-2007, STABLE-2007 and STATIC tools demonstrates that the GLM+ project is built on a professionally grounded approach to individualising work with each programme participant. The round tables serve as a reminder that the project is not a self-contained intervention, but part of a broader system of institutional collaboration. And the work with sexological modules shows that the therapeutic programme is grounded in values — in dignity, responsibility and the capacity to understand one's own actions and their consequences.

This is GLM+ in practice.

The GLM+ project (reg. no. CZ.03.03.01/00/23_051/0004708) is funded by the Employment Plus Operational Programme and co-financed by the European Union.