By implementing the INSPIRE project, we aimed to equip the consortium partners and key stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to effectively implement socially and economically sustainable detention houses within a Restorative City. The project focused on 3 core objectives: 1. Understanding the role of a detention house within a restorative city. 2. Exploring the 'ecosystem' that supports the implementation of a detention house. 3. Investigating the connection between detention houses and social enterprises. We aimed to produce concrete results such as readers, best practices, trainings and visual materials that make the knowledge gained easily accessible to all relevant stakeholders. These resources, along with a learning platform in the form of a website, will guide the implementation process and create sustainable changes in detention systems across Europe. The project also refined and validated knowledge through interdisciplinary exchanges, ensuring that the results are transferable and reusable in different European contexts. Ultimately, by disseminating these outcomes through a 'train-the-trainer' initiative, we envisioned a shift towards a more inclusive, safe, and sustainable society.
The INSPIRE project addressed the urgent need for a shift in the European penal system. Since the 19th century, European societies have relied on prisons as the primary form of punishment, driven by a focus on individual liberty and an ideology of control, security, and isolation. However, evidence has shown that traditional prison systems lead to negative mental and physical health outcomes, high recidivism rates, and a lack of rehabilitation. Despite changing views on incarceration, the built environment of prisons has largely remained unchanged, continuing to reflect outdated models of punishment. The need for change is clear: Europe must move from large-scale, isolated prisons to smaller, more community-integrated detention houses that are sustainable both socially and economically. These detention houses represent a paradigm shift, but the transition requires improved knowledge and collaboration among stakeholders, including NGOs, prison staff, policymakers, and citizens. The INSPIRE project addresses these needs by creating an interdisciplinary, international platform for sharing best practices and developing practical and theoretical knowledge to create more inclusive, sustainable societies across Europe.