Detention Visitors Support Group
Support and training detention visitors across Europe
In 2008, JRS started the Detention Visitors Support Group (DVSG) to provide a space of experience exchange and a thematic training for detention visitors across Europe to develop a network of support and skill enhancement for staff and volunteers. JRS teams regularly visit or are present in daily detention centres in 12 European countries: Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The group meets in person once a year and it is equipped with knowledge on various aspects including burnout prevention, the European legal framework, victim identification, and the four Ps: protection, prosecution, prevention and partnership.
While detention remains a consistent practice across European Member States, JRS advocates for an end to administrative detention and the use of alternatives that uphold people’s dignity and liberty.