To mark the 75th anniversary of our constitution, the "Week of Justice" took place for the first time last year in cooperation with the prison and the district court in Lingen. As part of this event, we, as students of advanced politics and economics courses, were once again given numerous exciting insights behind the walls of the prison and into the premises of the district court.
To kick off this eventful week, Meik Portmann, the director of the Lingen prison, visited us and gave us a comprehensive insight into his everyday working life. We learned a lot about his career and gained a comprehensive understanding of the historical background of the institutions. The beginnings and development processes of these two institutions were illustrated to us in connection with the entry into force of our constitution.
The next day, we were welcomed by Meik Portmann and had the opportunity to look behind the walls of Lingen Prison. On site, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the detention and work with prisoners. It was particularly impressive to see how elaborate and complex the organisation is, as well as the vastness of the grounds. None of us had expected that up to 773 prisoners could be accommodated in these premises. Accordingly, we were surprised by the high personnel costs involved.
At the end of these informative days, we attended a fascinating court hearing, which was a first for most of the students. The case involved a charge of fraud, and the defendant had already found himself in a precarious financial situation with his company. The formal atmosphere in particular left a lasting impression on us. This process of jurisprudence and the direct conversation with the judge and the prosecutor was particularly insightful with regard to our own career orientation. As a fully trained lawyer, she was able to answer our questions about studying law and point out the wide range of career opportunities that would await us after passing the state examination.
Projects of this kind are very important because they reveal previously unknown career paths and give us students a better understanding of the legal system and society. The most valuable aspect was the combination of the theoretical content we had already learned in class with concrete insights into practical application. After this time, which was insightful in many ways, we would therefore like to express our sincere thanks. Especially in view of the effort and commitment shown by the prison and the local court in Lingen.
Text: Heidi Erdmann, photos: Sebastian Zermann, Lingen Prison, Stefan Roters.