Over 20 inmates from all over Poland will start their studies at KUL

– In the academic year 2023/24, 23 inmates from penitentiary units across Poland have enrolled in university programs offered by the University at the Detention Center in Lublin. Among them, 11 will begin undergraduate studies, 12 will pursue master's degrees, and in the remaining years, we have 29 students - announced Rector of KUL, Rev. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski.

The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, for more than 10 years has been providing education for the imprisoned. This initiative, known as the KUL Studies Center at the Lublin Detention Center since 2022, is aimed at individuals not only in the Lublin facility but also in other prisons throughout Poland. As emphasized by Rev. Prof. Kalinowski, this initiative is unique in Europe. Celebrations marking a decade of offering these studies will take place this autumn.

Student-inmates starting their studies in the field of Family Sciences, specializing in the Assistance for Dependent Individuals (undergraduate studies), and Social Environment Animation (supplementary master's studies), have come to Lublin from correctional facilities in the Lublin, Warsaw, Opole, Koszalin, Poznań, and Olsztyn regions.

Not everyone serving a prison sentence qualifies to begin their education at Center for Studies of KUL at the Detention Center. The groups cannot be as large as in regular educational programs, and candidates, in addition to meeting formal requirements such as passing the high school-leaving exam (matura), must not exhibit risky behavior. An important criterion is the attitude of the inmate.

– Empathy, patience, understanding of the limitations of others – these are preferred traits when selecting candidates. While serving their sentences, student-inmates should be known for their tolerance, avoiding interpersonal conflicts and not displaying aggressive dominance towards fellow inmates - emphasizes Lt. Col. Anna Ausz, Director of the Lublin Detention Center.

Student-inmates who qualify for the second stage of recruitment apply for admission to the studies according to the rules set by KUL. Only after being accepted into the program can an inmate be transported to the Lublin Detention Center. – The safety of academic teachers and students is our top priority. Over the past 10 years, we have developed a collaboration model that has resulted in intellectual development, improved employment prospects, rehabilitation, increased self-esteem, and the rebuilding of social ties for prisoners, - adds the Rector of KUL.

For the first time, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin undertook the implementation of an innovative project in the field of rehabilitation through education called "New Socialization" in the academic year 2013/2014. This initiative garnered significant interest from national and international academic institutions and the public. In the field of social work, a group of 36 individuals from across Poland incarcerated at the Lublin Detention Center began their studies during that period.