VOL Without Violence: Cooperation with the Prison Service of the Czech Republic on Preventing Violent Behaviour

VOLONTÉ, in cooperation with the Prison Service of the Czech Republic and the Men’s Open League (LOM), has launched a project focused on the prevention of violent behaviour and on strengthening the professional capacities of prison staff. The initial activity was an expert roundtable held on 3 November 2025 at the LOM premises in Prague–Holešovice.

Roundtable at LOM (3 November 2025)

The meeting was attended by educators, social workers, teachers and special-education teachers from the prisons in Jiřice, Kynšperk, Nové Sedlo and Světlá nad Sázavou, as well as representatives of the Probation and Mediation Service. The session was moderated by Adéla Klingelová (LOM) and Lt. Col. PhDr. Václav Jiřička, Ph.D. (Head Psychologist of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic). In parallel, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted, focusing on the training needs of Prison Service staff when working with people with violent behaviour.

What we achieved

• Clarified the expectations of key stakeholders and mapped current needs in practice.

• Gained a basis for designing training for Prison Service staff in the area of preventing domestic and gender-based violence.

• Confirmed that the planned training will build on existing Prison Service programmes and will not duplicate them; with an emphasis on preventing violent behaviour and strengthening the parenting competencies of incarcerated people.

What comes next

In cooperation with LOM experts, a workshop for Prison Service staff focused on preventing domestic and gender-based violence will be designed, piloted and evaluated. Its content and methodology will draw on the outputs of the roundtable and the findings from the questionnaire survey.

Statement of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic

Our mutual cooperation will bring significant benefits for the practice of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic, especially in the area of preventing violent behaviour and effectively managing conflict. The planned training builds on existing Prison Service programmes and extends their impact through cooperation with VOLONTÉ and LOM. In particular, it will improve professionals’ ability to identify risk factors and respond early to the escalation of aggression, support the implementation of proven methods of working with violent offenders, strengthen links with resocialisation programmes aimed at reducing repeat violent offending, and reinforce multidisciplinary cooperation. We expect this to increase the safety of the environment and support the long-term stabilisation of the behaviour of perpetrators of violence after their return to the community.

Lt. Col. PhDr. Václav Jiřička, Ph.D., Head Psychologist, Prison Service of the Czech Republic

Project information

Project registration number: CZ.03.02.01/00/24_069/0004882

Implementation period: 01/07/2025 – 30/06/2028

Subject-matter lead: Tina Chlupáčová

Related outputs

Save the date: Roundtable on working with people with violent behaviour – https://www.volonte.cz/post/save-the-date-kulaty-stul-k-praci-s-osobami-s-nasilnym-chovanim

Together against violence: Roundtable for the VOL Without Violence project – https://www.volonte.cz/post/spolecne-proti-nasili-kulaty-stul-k-projektu-vol-bez-nasili

The VOL Without Violence project (Reg. No. CZ.03.02.01/00/24_069/0004882) is implemented under the Employment Plus Operational Programme, co-funded by the European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic. The project is co-funded by the European Union.