Friday in Lubeck - The Police Academy and the Prison
Today was an interesting day! This morning, we visited the Federal Police Academy. We met the Director, Martin Bussow and Training Supervisors. They were very welcoming to us. The Federal Police works at the airports, railways, and along frontiers. The Academy is the training center for the police force. The campus of the Academy was beautiful with large beech trees. It is much like a forest you would see in Ohio. 
After strolling along the campus, we visited their exhibit of historical equipment, vehicles, and uniforms. There was also information about the former border that divided east and west Germany in post-war Europe - the iron curtain. Lubeck was a border town before the collapse of the wall. They showed us diagrams of how the walls were constructed. There were some quite complicated systems that triggered gunfire if someone were to try to cross without permission. Thousands died during this time. Of course, as you know, the Berlin wall came down in 1989.
We also went to the prison in Lubeck, Prison Lauerhof. This was my first visit to a prison. I wasn't exactly excited about it, but it turned out to be quite interesting. Cameras were not allowed, so I don't have any photographs. Germany has a much different approach to dealing with prisoners. There are educational and training programs, much like in the United States. However, when a prisoner reaches within 6 months of the expected release date, they are allowed to leave the prison during the day and return only to sleep. This is a way to transition the prisoners back into society. I asked how they can ensure that the prisoner will come back at night - they said that they have to trust the person. There are no ankle bracelets, just trust....interesting! They also have a therapy unit for sex offenders and violence offenders. In this unit. which is relatively new, the prisoners receive therapy on a daily basis. They do role play within group exercises. We walked through this area. It was quite colorful, with lots of plants, an aquarium, and art on the walls. Their goal is that prisoners will be productive citizens when they leave and will not go back to crime.
After strolling along the campus, we visited their exhibit of historical equipment, vehicles, and uniforms. There was also information about the former border that divided east and west Germany in post-war Europe - the iron curtain. Lubeck was a border town before the collapse of the wall. They showed us diagrams of how the walls were constructed. There were some quite complicated systems that triggered gunfire if someone were to try to cross without permission. Thousands died during this time. Of course, as you know, the Berlin wall came down in 1989.
We also went to the prison in Lubeck, Prison Lauerhof. This was my first visit to a prison. I wasn't exactly excited about it, but it turned out to be quite interesting. Cameras were not allowed, so I don't have any photographs. Germany has a much different approach to dealing with prisoners. There are educational and training programs, much like in the United States. However, when a prisoner reaches within 6 months of the expected release date, they are allowed to leave the prison during the day and return only to sleep. This is a way to transition the prisoners back into society. I asked how they can ensure that the prisoner will come back at night - they said that they have to trust the person. There are no ankle bracelets, just trust....interesting! They also have a therapy unit for sex offenders and violence offenders. In this unit. which is relatively new, the prisoners receive therapy on a daily basis. They do role play within group exercises. We walked through this area. It was quite colorful, with lots of plants, an aquarium, and art on the walls. Their goal is that prisoners will be productive citizens when they leave and will not go back to crime.
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