The VISION project was designed with several key goals in mind. First, it sought to enhance prisoners' engagement with Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs by developing immersive virtual reality scenarios that could make course enrollment and participation more appealing. The project also aimed to bolster the educational and vocational skills of prisoners to better prepare them for labor market integration upon their release. Additionally, the initiative focused on supporting the successful reintegration of prisoners into society, aiming to reduce recidivism rates by providing them with the necessary skills to secure employment. An important component was improving the capabilities of trainers and educators by developing a comprehensive training program that utilizes VR technology to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Lastly, the project planned to engage a significant number of stakeholders, professionals, and prisoners in its activities to ensure broad impact and foster collaborative efforts across the participating organizations.
The project was applied for to address significant educational and vocational training deficits among prisoners. The primary needs identified include: - Lack of Qualifications: About 47% of adult prisoners report holding no qualifications. - Educational Failure: A significant percentage (42%) had been permanently excluded from school. - Employment Issues: 13% of prisoners reported never having been employed. - Learning Disabilities and Difficulties: There's an estimated prevalence of learning disabilities and difficulties among prisoners between 20% and 52%. - Low Participation in Educational Programs: The participation rate in educational programs within prisons is typically below 25% across many European countries. These issues underline the necessity for targeted Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs to help prisoners gain essential skills for employment and to facilitate their successful reintegration into society post-release. The project aims to leverage Virtual Reality (VR) technology to create realistic training scenarios that can enhance the learning experience and outcomes for the incarcerated individuals.