As the first step in the Road to Freedom project, this comparative research aims to have a close look at the prison systems of the five partner countries, namely Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Iceland and Italy, analysing the general characteristics of their justice systems and providing an overview of related statistical data. The main objective of this research is to provide a broad view of the challenges and opportunities present in the prison systems of partner countries. Through analysis of the general characteristics of the justice system and statistical data, as well as the effectiveness of the educational system in prisons, we have created a fundamental basis for the next phases of the project, which will culminate in courses using the F.R.O.G. methodology with young inmates and ex-inmates and the creation of a documentary that will tell the first-hand accounts of the educators and young people involved.