Training modules for prison staff

Strafvollzugsakademie

Is the Austrian Prison Service Academy, and the ministry of Justice is the responsible authority. The academy is responsible for basic training and further education of Austrian prison staff.

Type of Organisation: Governmental institution

The training modules focus on radicalisation and deradicalisation mechanisms in Austrian prisons. They are intended to raise awareness among prison staff and empower them in the field of intervention and prevention. The length of the modules varies according to the target group.

The training is tailored to the situation in Austrian prisons; the focus is on dealing with violent extremist offenders or possible radicalised prisoners. After the training, participants are able to identify signs of radicalisation and are aware of the exact procedure to follow for violent extremist offenders in Austrian prisons.

During the one-day seminar, the following areas are covered:

• an introduction to radicalisation
• radicalisation, extremism and terrorism
• radicalisation in prison
• the radicalisation cycle
• Islamism and Salafism — a (historical) overview
• right-wing and left-wing extremism and other active groups in Austria
• indicators of radicalisation
• the exact procedure to follow if radicalisation is suspected, or when dealing with violent extremist offenders.

The three-lesson seminar includes input from:

• trainer(s) from the prison service
• speaker(s) from an NGO working in Austrian prisons, the Network for Social Cohesion, Dialogue, Extremism-Prevention and Democracy (Netzwerk sozialer Zusammenhalt für Dialog, Extremismusprävention und Demokratie) (DERAD)
• representative(s) from the Directorate-General of the Prison Service and Preventive Detention/Dep. Care and Services (occasional attendance).

The intervention targets are:

• prison guards (further training)
• prison guards currently in training (basic training or other)
• prison staff (social workers, psychologists, educators, medical staff, pastoral care staff, etc.).

Training modules for prison staff Handouts

Address

Strafvollzugsakademie
Wickenburggasse 12
1080 Vienna
Austria

Contact person: Gerhard Pichler
Telephone: (+43) 140 4033 930
Gerhard [dot] pichlerjustiz [dot] gv [dot] at (Email) | Website