Basic training for correctional officers

Norway’s Correctional Services

Norway’s Correctional Services has designated resource persons, who have taken part in training, briefings and information sharing activities under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Correctional Services (KDI). The training provided to these resource persons is supervised and/or conducted with the assistance of the Supplemental education department at the KRUS, as well as independent external subject matter experts and cooperating services (e.g. the police). KRUS is responsible for various training programmes for correctional staff. This training is conducted under the auspices of the KDI – with the assistance of the partners mentioned above. KRUS also offers the following activities/courses:

• a comprehensive 15 ECTS gathering-based course on the subject of radicalisation in the correctional service – OPEN FOR EXTERNAL (NON-NORWEGIAN) APPLICANTS;
• radicalisation that may lead to violent extremism, basic course, two days – open to applications from all staff in the correctional services and LEAs;
• radicalisation that may lead to violent extremism, experience sharing from prisons, two days
• radicalisation – gatherings for resource personnel – steps 1–4, two days, closed sessions;
• lectures/training at KRUS and/or in prisons, external units on demand;
• lectures/presentations at external functions; national and international seminars and conferences.

Type of Organisation: Governmental institution

Since 2015, all correctional officers receive, as part of their two-year basic training programme, approximately 20 hours of education, training and lectures related to radicalisation and violent extremism. This is conducted by the Department of studies at the University College of Norwegian Correctional Service (KRUS). The following focusses on this training.

The content relevant to radicalisation and violent extremism within the two-year programme for correctional officers includes:

• radicalisation phenomena, definitions, terms – thematic overview (1 hr);
• prevention of terrorism in society (Tore Bjørgo perspective) (2 hrs);
• forms of violent extremism and terrorism (1 hr);
• radical Islam (2 hrs);
• radicalisation in prisons (1–2 hrs);
• seclusion (from society) and the adverse effects it may have in terms of radicalisation (1 hr);
• mini casework “Ismail” (6 hrs), focusing on applied usage of the handbook;
• cultural awareness in general, concepts and theories (2 hrs) – supporting subject;
• understanding religion in prison (2 hrs) – supporting subject;
• foreign inmates (2 hrs) – supporting subject.

The training is designed to raise awareness among the participants of concepts and theories such as radical, extreme, terrorist, radicalisation processes, various forms of violent extremism and terrorism, and the prison as an arena for radicalisation, as well as deradicalisation. Islam, or rather radical Islam, is also a subject highlighted in the training.

Emphasis is given as staff are generally poorly equipped to handle issues of religiosity and Muslim identity issues and may thus confuse piety and religiosity with radicalisation. As such, the training is designed to enable staff to be more comfortable in dealing with cultural and/or religious diversity, with a special emphasis on Muslim inmates. The training seeks to empower staff to recognise some overall signs of radicalisation within existing structures, and deal with inmates of concern.

Plenary lectures, mini-group assignments (for the Ismail mini casework, six hours) and Q&A sessions.

Handbook

Videos and e-learning content

Other material not available online.

Contact person: Dr David Hansen
Telephone: +47 40025540
david [dot] hansenkrus [dot] no (Email) | Website