On Friday, December 2, the Ministry of Justice presented the annual "Human to human" award to recognize volunteers involved in the criminal justice process who work with prisoners or probation clients.
Celebrating the International Volunteer Day, the unique award "Human to human" is presented to volunteers involved in work with prisoners and probation clients at the conference "Volunteers for a safer society", organized by the Latvian Prison Administration, the State Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice with the co-financing support of the European Social Fund as part of the project "Integration of ex-prisoners into society and the labor market". This year, the award "Human to human" went to Jānis Barkāns, Jānis Liepiņš and Lolita Terēze Nicmane, while letters of thanks from the Ministry of Justice were presented to Laila Škoba and the association "Bona fide Latvia".
The awards were presented to the laureates by Jānis Bordāns, the Minister of Justice: "Volunteers are role models for all of us, who teach selflessly to help those who need support in difficult moments of life - both persons with disabilities, victims of criminal offenses, and convicted persons. It is an investment in a safer tomorrow for your country and the entire society. Only by reaching out to those in need can we create a cohesive and inclusive society where no one feels left out or rejected! Today we honor our volunteers who make an important contribution to strengthening public safety. The field of criminal justice is not easy, so we thank the community of volunteers who are involved in working with convicted persons and helping to build a safer society!”
State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Mihails Papsujevičs noted: "Volunteers spend a lot of time every year providing support, understanding, knowledge, sharing experience, motivating prisoners and probation clients for positive change. We believe that the community involvement, time and assistance that volunteers provide to correctional services clients is critical and necessary for the continued lifestyle change of these individuals. We are proud of every volunteer who is brave and contributes to a safer and more inclusive society.”
Anual award "Human to human " is established with the support of the European Social Fund. The name of the award "Human to human" is borrowed from the campaign of the State Probation Service with that name, which has been held in the city Cesis Correctional Institution for minors since 2003. Both this action and the award prove that every person is capable and can, with his work and involvement in providing support to other people, make Latvian society more and more secure.
This year, three laureates received the award in three nominations, who voluntarily and selflessly support convicts both in prisons and during their time as probation clients, thus helping them to return to society and generally promoting public safety.
In the nomination for contribution to the involvement of society and the promotion and popularization of the resocialization process in the field of execution of criminal sentences, the award was received Janis Barkans.
Janis Barkans has been working as an associate in the Madona department of the Vidzeme regional unit of the State Probation Service since March 6, 2019. He has been an associate of at least ten protégés. Jānis has taken responsibility for the wards who are addicted to addictive substances, mostly alcohol.
Jānis deserves the award "Human to human", because as a volunteer associate he not only helps the wards (probation clients) to spend their free time meaningfully, cultivate new social skills and abilities, but also with his personal example motivates the probation clients to change their lives by solving their addictions. problems.
Received in the nomination for personal and selfless contribution to voluntary work in the field of enforcement of criminal sentences Janis Liepins.
The first collaboration with Janis Liepins for the Ilguciem prison began in May of this year, when he began to dedicate every Monday evening to the development and strengthening of the physical culture of the convicts in the prison with the help of circuit training. Janis is a selfless, passionate volunteer who cares about our society, its safety and development. As Janis has expressed: "When you stand on your own two feet, you realize that you can and must give back to society."
In the nomination for contribution to innovation and introduction of new practices in voluntary work in the field of criminal punishment, he received Lolita Tereze Nicmane
Lolita Tereze Nicmane has been a volunteer of the Responsibility and Support Circles of the State Probation Service since 2016, since 2017 she has been a volunteer assistant for probation clients and since 2018 she has also been a mediator of the voluntary settlement process.
Lolita has managed and organized at least 10 settlement processes between probation clients and victims, worked in accountability and support circles with three protégés who were convicted of crimes against morality and sexual integrity, and has also been an associate of at least eight probation clients. Lolita emphasizes that a person who has made a mistake in life is not lost to society, he must be given a second chance and the participation of society can contribute to successful resocialization processes.
In addition to the nominations, this year the Ministry of Justice also presented letters of thanks from the Ministry of Justice:
Laila Skoba, who has been a voluntary settlement mediator of the State Probation Service since 2010. You can say that Laila is a veteran, because she has been acting as a mediator for 12 years. All these years, Laila has been supporting people by organizing and leading settlement processes, thus taking care of public safety.
Association “Bona fide Latvia”, whose volunteers in prisons promote the opportunity for prisoners to spend quality free time with the aim of promoting positive and resocializing free time opportunities. Involves incarcerated persons in companionship by providing support and encourages them to improve social skills and make responsible and mature decisions, in good conscience provides incarcerated persons with the necessary support aimed at integration into society and the labor market.
