The project aims at ameliorating the situation of and adherence to human rights in long-term imprisonment and similar sanctions (i. e. more than five years of custody). This also comprises improving the living conditions and the chances of rehabiliation of the prisoners.

Long-term imprisonment is a very precarious form of custody because the number of prisoners with very long custodial sanctions is rising in many European states. These prisoners are exposed to the negative effects of imprisonment to an even greater extent than the average prisoner because of the length of their respective sentences. At the same time, they are often excluded from rehabilitation measures.

The department co-operates with the university's Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Clinic (Prof. Dr. Harald J. Freyberger, Dr. Manuela Dudeck).