April 8, 2026
Punishment and Social Therapy
The open house on June 26, 2026, will give interested visitors the opportunity to take a look behind the walls of a unique correctional facility
From time to time, there are discussions in the media, in political circles, and among experts about how offenders should be treated or whether Penalties are hard enough. However, very few people have ever experienced a Correctional Facility (JVA) seen from the inside—in many of these guided debates, there is often a lack of understanding of what it actually means to be incarcerated in Germany. Public discussion often focuses on „locking people away,“ while the issues Reintegration and the The Purpose of Punishment have faded into the background.
That is why On Friday, June 26, 2026, The next theme day on the topic of the correctional system will be held at the Hamburg Social Therapy Center. The Professional Development is aimed at key influencers in the fields of education and social services, as well as journalists and individuals with a professional interest in the subject. The program explores the complex topics of the correctional system, punishment, and the administration of criminal justice. In addition to a visit to the Hamburg Social Therapy Facility, the program includes lectures and a workshop.
Through practical insights and discussions with representatives from academia, this theme day aims to provide a more nuanced picture of the tasks, challenges, and issues facing the correctional system.
Details
Date: Friday, June 26, 2026
Time: 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Getting There: Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel. The foundation cannot provide a travel allowance.
Venue: Hamburg Social Therapy Center (Fuhlsbüttel), Suhrenkamp 92, 22335 Hamburg
Meeting point: right at the entrance
Target audience: This training program is aimed at key influencers in the education sector (schools, civic education, adult education centers, and other educational institutions), the social sector (e.g., volunteer youth leaders; social workers), as well as journalists and individuals with a professional interest in the subject (e.g., lay judges).
Registration: Registration was open until Monday, June 15, 2026. The number of participants is limited to 23.* The training is free of charge. You are responsible for paying for your own lunch.
Note: No cell phones, laptops with SIM cards, or other internet-enabled devices (including access points) may be brought into the correctional facility.
Trigger warning: During the theme day, there may be references to sex crimes. There is also a possibility that you may come into indirect contact with people who have committed such crimes.
DAILY SCHEDULE*
- 8:45 a.m. Meet in front of the Hamburg Social Therapy Center; introductions and security check
- 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Tour of the correctional facility and meeting with representatives of the facility’s administration
- 12:00–1:10 p.m. Group lunch in the institution's cafeteria (at your own expense)
- 1:15–2:15 p.m. Presentation 1: „The Correctional System and Dealing with Individuals Who Have Committed Sex Crimes or with People with Mental Illness from a Lawyer’s Perspective" (Speaker: Attorney Christian Woldmann)
- 2:15–3:15 p.m. Presentation 2: „The Correctional System Between Rehabilitation and Security: Current Perspectives, Challenges, and Trends" (Speaker: Dr. Lorenz Bode, Member of the Uetze Municipal Council for Construction, Public Order, and Climate Protection, and former public prosecutor)
- 3:15–4:00 p.m. Closing workshop moderated by the outreach team of the Forum Recht Foundation
- 4:00–4:45 p.m. Optional: Concert by the Prisoners' Choir
- Starting at 4:00 p.m./4:45 p.m. Individual departure
- Subject to change without notice
Registration for the Theme Day
If you have any questions about our training courses, please feel free to email us at vermittlung(at)stiftung-forum-recht.de.
*In the event of very high demand, we reserve the right to select participants based on a number of criteria (role as an advocate for political education, representation of various employers/institutions, quantitative gender balance, and regional distribution of participants). We conduct this selection process on an ongoing basis so that we can provide feedback to interested parties as soon as possible after registration.
Review
Here you can find highlights from the past Correctional System Theme Days held in Herne and Düsseldorf in 2024.
Theme days on the prison system
The kick-off events for the new "Theme Days" training program offered exciting insights into the prison system in Bruchsal and Düsseldorf on November 29 and December 6, 2024.