The European University held three in-person seminars in Cyprus, in collaboration with the Cyprus Prison Department. The seminars took place at the Cyprus Prison Academy on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of September 2024 and were scheduled from 08:00 to 15:00 each day. The seminars were conducted by trainers Georgia Charalambous and Celia Loukaidou and were attended by trainee prison officers – students of the Cyprus Prison Academy.
The majority of participants were young individuals who already held a university degree in a different field. Out of the 49 participants, 21 were women and 28 were men. The distribution of participants across the three training groups was balanced in terms of both number and gender. None of the participants had previous prison experience, meaning none were active prison officers.
Each training session lasted a total of 7 hours and included three breaks. Every session was divided into four parts, with the training content organized accordingly to ensure that all topics were covered. The participants showed particular interest and willingness to engage in experiential activities and discussions. Some of the activities that required movement were conducted in the outdoor area of the Academy.
Participants asked many questions and were actively involved throughout all phases of the training. Due to the high level of interest and the extended discussions—especially in the first thematic unit—certain parts of the final two units were condensed to ensure that the training could be completed within the allotted time. Participants stated that they found the scenario-based activity especially helpful; they first discussed the scenarios in small groups and then in a plenary session.
