During a prison riot at the Judicial Prison of Korydallos in Athens on September 23rd 2012, KETHEA EN DRASEI Therapeutic Community was completely destroyed by fire. The riot was not associated with the Therapeutic Community and, fortunately, there were no casualties. However, both the building and the equipment suffered huge losses. The total cost of the damage exceeds 300.000 €. The Therapeutic Community is hosted temporarily in another area of the prison, which is not suitable for treatment. The reconstruction of facilities is a priority for KETHEA.
Korydallos is the largest prison in the country by population and houses approximately 2.300 inmates. A significant percentage of this population has committed drug-related offences and/or has a drug problem. ΚΕΤΗΕΑ ΕΝ DRASEI Therapeutic Community remains one for the very few recovery units in the entire Greek Criminal Justice System. The Therapeutic Community was set up 3 ½ years ago. The facilities were renovated with funds of KETHEA and personal work on the part of the prisoners.
To date, 177 prisoners have participated in the KETHEA EN DRASEI Therapeutic Community, and more than 180 inmates, who are currently attending the KETHEA EN DRASEI Counseling Support Programme in korydallos Prison, are waiting to enter the Therapeutic Community.
It should be noted that KETHEA EN DRASEI Therapeutic Community forms part of a wider therapeutic programme, which comprises several units in women’s and men’s prisons (including two Therapeutic Communities for female prisoners), as well as a Reception and Re-entry Centre for Released Prisoners in Athens, guaranteeing continuity of care after prison. According to the Centre for Penal and Criminological Research of the Athens Law School, which has conducted an evaluation the therapeutic programme, KETHEA EN DRASI is an innovative venture “that respond to real and deep-seated need” and “should be used as a model for other prisons in Greece”.
KETHEA is now trying to sensitize public opinion and policy makers in Greece, in an effort to raise funds for the reconstruction of the Therapeutic Community.
