Consultant I (digital rehabilitation in prisons)

Overview

Produce high-quality report analyzing technology benefits and risks in prisons.

You have:

• A Master’s degree in criminology, sociology, psychology, social and political sciences, or a related field is required.
• A PhD in the same fields is desirable.
• At least seven (7) years of working experience in the study and research of criminal justice issues is required.
• Experience in conducting research on the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders to reduce reoffending, the evaluation of criminal justice programmes and on the use of digital technologies in prison is highly desirable.
• Specialized knowledge on digital technologies and/or digital inclusion/literacy is desirable.
• Previous experience with the United Nations or similar international organizations is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required.

Result of Service Deliverable 1: Inception report (3 pages)

The inception report will include evaluation methodology, a detailed work plan, data collection instruments (including questionnaires for the interviews) and plans for field visits.

Deliverable 2: 1st draft report

Draft that provides practical recommendations for the successful implementation of technology in prisons. The report will include a preliminary roadmap for improving or changing specific areas to achieve the desired outcomes, incorporating best practices and concrete, actionable steps based on the identified needs and gaps.

Deliverable 3: 2nd draft report

Once the inputs from UNICRI and the validation workshop are incorporated into the first draft, the consultant will share the second draft with the UNICRI project team.

Deliverable 4: Final report

The consultant should include all recommendations, as well as collect all findings and analysis of the research team, and submit the following:

Final report

The final report should contain at least the following sections:

Executive summary

Background and context of the assessment

Assessment approach and methodology

Findings from various data sources, including desk review, case studies, interviews, consultation, etc.

Analysis of findings

A roadmap with practical guidance that outlines concrete and actional steps for the successful implementation of technology in prisons

Work Location Home based

Expected duration April – November 2023

Duties and Responsibilities 1. Background of the assignment:

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is a United Nations entity established in 1968 to support countries worldwide in preventing crime and facilitating criminal justice. UNICRI is mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI's goals are:

to advance understanding of crime-related problems;

to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems;

to support the respect of international instruments and other standards;

to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance.

As technology continues to play an increasingly influential role in modern society, there is growing interest in its potential applications within the criminal justice system. In the Background Paper on the Workshop on "Reducing reoffending: identifying risks and developing solutions" at the 14th UN Crime Congress, it was noted that technological advancements offer new opportunities for prisons to deliver education programmes to prisoners, while the widespread use of electronic devices provides a cost-effective solution for prison-based services (A/CONF.234/9).

The principles established in the Nelson Mandela Rules emphasize the importance of providing prisoners with access to education, vocational training, work, and other forms of support to facilitate their successful reintegration into society. The recent global pandemic has only served to highlight the challenges faced by prison administrators in providing these services, further fuelling interest in the use of technology to address these challenges.

In response to these developments, UNICRI is conducting research into the potential impact of technology on prisoner interventions to improve effectiveness and support rehabilitation. UNICRI's research focuses on the use of technology within the prison environment and its impact on prisoners' rehabilitation, with the goal of providing benefits for both prisoners and staff. For example, virtual reality (VR) technology can enhance existing rehabilitation programmes by providing prisoners with immersive and realistic environments that can ease the transition from prison to society. This technology can also be adapted for use with prisoners who have disabilities or vulnerabilities and can be particularly useful in overcrowded facilities with limited resources.

2. Purpose of the assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to assist UNICRI in producing a high-quality report that analyzes and assesses the potential benefits and risks of introducing new technologies in prisons to facilitate prisoner rehabilitation. The overall research aims to explore and identify several key areas, including:

i) The ethical principles that should guide the use of digital rehabilitation in prisons;

ii) The existing and potential tools and systems that can be used to support rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and promote desistance;

iii) Tools that can be used in treatment programmes to provide mental health and social services to prisoners in order to enhance their mental well-being and social skills; and

iv) The best ways to ensure that the implementation of these tools and systems is ethical, human rights compliant, and centered around the needs and well-being of the prisoners.

Overall, this report will provide valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders on leveraging technology to support prisoner rehabilitation effectively and ethically. The consultant will act as a key member of this initiative’s research team, driving the project forward and consolidating the findings and recommendations in a report. This report will be presented at an expert-level meeting scheduled towards the end of 2023. The insights and recommendations in this report will be instrumental in guiding the project's second phase, which involves a pilot programme to introduce technology in prisons in selected country(ies).

As a member of the research team, the consultant will be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis of the material, data, and information collected through desk and field research, focusing on two of the four key areas (ii and iii), as further described in paragraph 3 below. This will include conducting interviews with end-users, staff working in prisons, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of technology use in prisons and the appropriate methods of developing and identifying good quality tools.

Ultimately, in coordination with the research team, the consultant will be responsible for producing a comprehensive and evidence-based report that provides practical recommendations for the successful implementation of technology in prisons. The report will serve as a critical guide for policymakers and practitioners looking to improve prisoner rehabilitation and reduce reoffending rates through the use of technology.

2. Specific tasks to be performed by the consultant:

Under the supervision of the Associate Expert and in close collaboration with the International Subject Expert and the project team, the incumbent will perform the following tasks:

PHASE 1: Prepare a brief inception report

-Meeting with project team to discuss scope, methodology and timeline; -Prepare inception report outlining the key steps/methodology with specific deliverables and timeline; contextual analysis (3 pages)

PHASE 2: Gap mapping, research, and analysis -Carry out in-depth (desk and field) research and analysis on the following areas: - Existing tools and systems for the purpose of prisoner rehabilitation, reducing reoffending and promoting desistance, such as Virtual Reality (VR) technology, Augmented Reality (AR) technology, mobile application, and others; - The tools that can be used for programmes to provide mental health and social services to prisoners in order to enhance their mental well-being and social skills; - The appropriate method of developing and identifying good quality tools that are likely to yield genuine benefits for service providers and end users, in this case prisoners; - The appropriate system of making tools available to users and motivating users to engage with them. - Conduct interviews (including field research) with relevant stakeholders in coordination with UNICRI’s project team; - Consult with select specialists in UN agencies, such as UNODC, OHCHR, and other autonomous research and training institutes to gain inputs on lessons learned, good practices and challenges; - Closely coordinate with the research team to share findings, ensure convergence and promote synergies between the four key areas of the final report (i, ii, iii, and iv, as described above); - Provide initial inputs to UNICRI’s project team on a proposal for a year 2 project.

PHASE 3: Prepare and present the draft report - Based on the analysis, collect the relevant findings and inputs provided by the research team to prepare a comprehensive and evidence-based report that provides practical recommendations for the successful implementation of technology in prisons; - Validate the draft report with key stakeholders and relevant civil society stakeholders to ensure that the recommendations and proposed steps are feasible and relevant through a validation workshop in Turin; - Improve the report based on feedback from the validation workshop.

PHASE 4: Finalize the report and validate the second phase - Present relevant sections of the final report document to the UNICRI team and address any comments they may have in the document; - Perform other job-related duties upon request.

Qualifications/special skills A Master’s degree in criminology, sociology, psychology, social and political sciences, or a related field is required. A PhD in the same fields is desirable. At least seven (7) years of working experience in the study and research of criminal justice issues is required. Experience in conducting research on the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders to reduce reoffending, the evaluation of criminal justice programmes and on the use of digital technologies in prison is highly desirable. Specialized knowledge on digital technologies and/or digital inclusion/literacy is desirable. Previous experience with the United Nations or similar international organizations is desirable.

Languages For the position advertised, fluency in English is required.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org