On Monday 10th of July, Odyssea and John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, as part of the project You Have a Second Chance – an initiative that combines vocational training and professional orientation through therapeutic support, visited the accommodation unit of KETHEA EN DRASI inside Korydallos Prisons. 

During the visit, Odyssea toured the accommodation units of  KETHEA EN DRASI and quickly jumped into discussions with the community members. The members shared their personal stories, their backgrounds as well as their positive impressions on the vocational trainings offered to them. “The computer classes were the first time I got involved with technology. I felt curiosity and delight. I believe it  will be useful to me in the future, in life after prison,” said a member of the KETHEA EN DRASI community. Many did not fail to underline the value and important role that therapeutic support has in their reintegration journey, “therapy helps me to learn myself, and combined with the training courses, I become a better person.”

Once completing the round of discussions with the members of KETHEA EN DRASI community, Odyssea proudly proceeded to present the impact of the project “You Have a Second Chance”. Specifically, the total number of participants reached almost 430. During the project, a total of  62 people were trained inside the detention centers in Thiva and Korydallos, while 96 released people were trained. Additionally, 141 people received  job counseling at Odyssea,  while 80 were connected with relevant jobs. Odysseas’ team concluded with the vision of the programme and its expansion, having a greater  holistic approach, and activating the mobile medical unit of Odyssea.

We would like to express our gratitude to the members of the KETHEA EN DRASI community, who welcomed us with a smile and warmth, our partners from KETHEA EN DRASII for the implementation of the project “You Have a Second Chance” and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation for their support!

The visit concerned the review of the project “You Have a Second Chance”, which lasted for 18 months and was developed in three phases in the accommodation units of KETHEA EN DRASI  in the prisons of Korydallos and Thiva. The first phase concerned the empowerment of individuals in prisons through their access to vocational training, such as cooking, woodworking, silversmithing, and basic digital skills, with parallel therapeutic support from KETHEA EN DRASI. The second phase concerned the reintegration of individuals into the society by connecting them with Odyssea’s services for the further development of hard and soft skills and their professional support to find work. The third and final phase involved post-treatment supervision, which was in place from the start of the second phase and continued six months after its completion.