MenACE: Mental health and palliative care in prisons project gets EU funding Silvia Bernardo August 17, 2016

MenACE: Mental health and palliative care in prisons project gets EU funding

MenACE consists in a project that addresses the current needs related to mental health, aging and palliative care in European prisons.

Mental health conditions are especially prevalent among incarcerated population, which presently amounts to about 10.35 million, worldwide. These mental health issues are exacerbated with age as over 20% of adults aged sixty and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder. Moreover, the number of incarcerated elderly is increasing at an exponential rate. In this context, this project aims to increase the response to mental health disorders within prisons and the quality of palliative and end of life care provided, mainly through enhancing the competences of management and frontline staff.

Having started with a perception of the present and of the near future, the idea of the MenACE project was nurtured and encouraged after the partners had participated in MEDICALIS 2014.

Project partners will be spearheaded by Hospice Casa Sperantei, Romania. From Portugal, both IPS Innovative Prison Systems and BSAFE Lab take part in the project, which also counts with partners from Norway (Helse Bergen Haukeland University Hospital) and Belgium.

There are three national prison administrations involved in this project – the Romanian, the Belgian and the Portuguese. Furthermore, EuroPris European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services, also takes part in this ambitious project.

Financed by the Eramus+ Programme – Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education – MenACE was awarded funding that amounts to 289.886,00 € and it will be run for 24 months, starting on November 15th 2016.