The Court of Elysium Penitentiary Efficiency Framework (more widely known as the ‘Say Hello’ Programme) is a new initiative put in place within Imperial Corrections Facility Gleipnir. Combining the strengths of House Crux, House Lyra and the Democratic Mandate, the programme is a Court of Elysium initiative that incorporates the education of prisoners alongside punitive measures to maximise the potential of a successful resocialisation back into the world of Acheron Rho.
Impetus for Improvement[]
The Court of Elysium has a long history of involvement with the criminal justice system, as demonstrated by its origins back in 2620. Following the conflict with the STO, and the emergence of a newly independent House Lyra, there has been a renewed energy and refocus towards rebuilding a stronger, united Empire.
Since this resurgence, the Democratic Mandate reconnected with the Empire and sought ways in which they could also improve the Sector. With the goals of all parties in alignment in this particular regard, the Democratic Mandate joined the Court of Elysium.
Further discussions amongst the members identified The Imperial Corrections Facility Gleipnir as a place where improvements could be made in order to have long-lasting benefits to both the Empire and to humanity as a whole.
Thus, the Court of Elysium Penitentiary Efficiency Framework - ‘Say Hello’ - was created.
Programme Structure[]
Right from the initial stages, the programme looks to elevate prisoners through qualitative measures in conjunction with quantitative measures such as education and learning. Much of this includes a change in attitude and discourse in relation to those on the programme. For instance, prisoners accepted onto the course are referred to as trainees rather than inmates.
There is an unofficial mantra which programme staff are encouraged to remember: ‘Treat prisoners as people.’
The programme life cycle itself has 3 main elements; Reparation, Re-Education and Resocialisation.
Reparation[]
It is the belief of the programme that all crimes must be paid for, in some way, shape or form. It is also the belief at some stage within the serving of a sentence, the mindset of an inmate shifts from that of someone who having a punishment thrust upon them to a more reflective stance where the prisoner is making reparations for the crime that they committed.
Not all prisoners achieve this shift in mindset, and so would be unsuitable for inclusion on the programme.
Identifying those prisoners who are ready for further investment is the purview of House Crux. They will look at inmates who have served a significant proportion of their sentence and determine whether they - and society - would benefit from inclusion on the programme and a subsequent reintroduction into the wider world.
All trainees begin the programme here, and House Crux has the final say as to whether an inmate is able to move to the next stage of the programme, Re-Education.
House Crux also monitors the behaviour of trainees across all three stages, and reserve the right to pull trainees from the course should there be sufficient breaches of conduct.
Re-Education[]
Re-Education is the purview of the Democratic Mandate, and aims to provide trainees with the knowledge and training required to make a positive contribution to society.
With the labour crisis in full flow, the Democratic Mandate have developed an educational programme that covers a broad range of transferable skills. This is somewhat different to the usual specialised training given to many serfs within the sector, who are often trained to do one particular task, such as farming.
By embedding trainees with a large range of generalised skills, they can instead be put to work in a variety of different areas, as well as be transferred from post to post should the demand be there.
As trainees move through the course, they are presented with the option to cover broad interest topics via modules, which help prepare them for the next stage of the programme, Resocialisation.
Inmates have to pass exams on a regular basis to ensure that they progressing sufficiently, with a high pass rate required to move on. Those who consistently fail exams and do not show enough progress are dropped from the course to serve the rest of their sentence.
Once a trainee is ready to be moved onto the next stage of the programme, the Democratic Mandate will assess their strengths and their interests as indicated by the trainee’s choice of optional modules and provide a number of recommendations with regards to their potential relocation following release.
Resocialisation[]
Resocialisation entails making sure that a trainee is fully equipped to integrate with society once released. This complex discipline falls under the responsibility of House Lyra. They will review a trainee’s recommendations as to where they will be posted and prepare the trainee for life beyond The Imperial Corrections Facility Gleipnir. Should it be required, they are able to override the recommendation should they deem a different location be more suitable.
Resocialisation covers a wide array of skills and needs, from ensuring that the trainee is aware of local traditions and etiquette, even teaching them new languages, to making sure that the trainee is a good ‘cultural’ fit for the society they are heading into.
Similarly to the Re-Education phase, trainees are held to a high standard and are regularly tested throughout this stage of the programme.
House Lyra decides whether a trainee has passed this cycle of the programme.
Release[]
By virtue of the programme’s set up, those who complete all three stages of the programme are deemed ‘ready’ for release and Resocialisation. To aid with the administrative workload associated with this, House Crux, House Lyra and the Democratic Mandate come together to decide who gets released and when.
Somewhat of a formality by this stage, the occasion is marked by a ‘Graduation Ceremony’ for those being released. From this point on, the trainee is considered a ‘graduate’ of the programme and referred to as such.
Role of House Pyxis[]
A prisoner incarcerated in The Imperial Corrections Facility Gleipnir can only be released upon receipt of an official Imperial Pardon. As part of this programme, the Court of Elysium secured an undisclosed number of Pardons from House Pyxis that it may apply to those that have been deemed to have passed the strict criteria of the programme.
The Emperox is invited to attend each and every ‘Graduation Ceremony’ and meet with the graduates should they so choose; although each invitation is unlikely to be taken up by the Emperox themselves, House Pyxis often sends an administrative representative to ensure that graduates are suitable for release under the mantle of an Imperial Pardon.
Post-Release[]
Post-release, graduates are monitored by local House Crux forces first and foremost. This is to ensure that they are not only on their best behaviour, but that they are equally afforded some level of protection from those members of society who could have a bad influence on them or perhaps threaten them.
Regular reports are sent from local police to Gleipnir, which House Crux, House Lyra and the Democratic Mandate review. Graduates are encouraged to form networks with locally based Crux, Lyra and Democratic Mandate members as a form of support.
The scope for the success of the programme, however, should not be ignored. By successfully uplifting prisoners via proper rehabilitation, the Court of Elysium feels it can help address the ongoing labour crisis and demonstrate the Court’s effectiveness when it comes to solving Sector-wide issues.
Areas of Tension[]
With the programme having a certain level of overlap between the 3 factions involved, there is scope for both cooperation and tension. Much of the tension centres around disagreements as to when a trainee is ready to move from one stage to another, with House Crux always wary as to the dangers of pushing someone through such a programme if they are not ready for it.