Brussels, 10 April 2019: The first time people from all over Europe came together to launch the idea of detention houses that are small-scale, differentiated AND community-integrated. It became obvious that, for decades, small-scale detention facilities had already existed in many European countries. What was innovative about the RESCALED movement, was both the three principles and its mission to replace ALL large prison institutions with detention houses. Instead of widening the net and adding a new concept for liberty deprivation to the penal system, RESCALED started a movement with the mission to support the use of detention houses instead of large prison institutions.

After this initial launch, RESCALED grew from five member countries in 2019, to eight countries in 2022, to 17 countries in 2024. The movement consist of various stakeholders including academics, policymakers, and civil society organizations collaborating to raise awareness, influence policy, and promote the implementation of detention houses all over Europe.