NeDiC - Network for Deradicalisation in Corrections

Hessian Ministry of Justice

Type of Organisation: Governmental institution

NeDiC is an administrative department in the Hessian Ministry of Justice that is responsible for the coordination and supervision of countering violent extremist and organised crime practices in the Hessian penal system. NeDiC’s responsibilities are organised around four areas:

1) Identification

• ‘Structural observers’: Experienced and specially trained correctional officers. Their sole task is to provide prison intelligence by monitoring and gathering information about all extremist prisoners (EPs) as well as members of organised crime groups (OCPs) at their respective prison. They share this information and key insights with the prison management, NeDiC, and the security agencies. They also act as knowledge multipliers within their prison. Currently, all Hessian prisons deploy at least one structural observer.  
• Diagnostic Centre: Professional risk assessments of EPs and risk management strategies are formulated by specially trained psychologists using the risk assessment instrument VERA-2R. 
• Staff training: Educating about extremist prisoners’ motivation, behaviour and indicators of radicalisation. Fostering intercultural competence and cultural mediation. Trainings are tailor-made for different audiences and given by NeDiC members or by experts from security agencies/NGOs. Correctional psychologists are trained in the risk assessment instrument VERA-2R.

2) Prevention

• Multi-agency cooperation: Enabling a constant flow of information between correctional staff, NGOs, the Hessian Ministry of Justice, the Hessian security agencies. 
• Preventing networking: Observation by structural observers and other staff prevents the formation of extremist networks and allows the relocation of EPs/OCPs to different wards or prisons. 
• Pastoral care for Muslim prisoners: Coordinated by NeDiC, 15 German-speaking, vetted imams provide pastoral care for Muslim prisoners. By engaging the prisoners in religious dialogue, they can prevent and correct religious misconceptions.

3) Deradicalisation

• Coordination and support: Coordination of interventions for EPs. Supporting prisons in applying interventions effectively for EPs. 
• Example interventions: Individual and group-based deradicalisation programmes, psychotherapy, courses on democratic values.

4) Coordination

• Focal point: NeDiC acts as a focal point for all gathered knowledge and competences across all the different projects. 
• Tasks: Policymaking and administration, coordination of measures, the facilitation of multi-agency and interorganisational information exchange, staff training.

• Face-to-face training
• Workshops
• Advanced training programmes
• Video and audio

Address

Hessian Ministry of Justice
Luisenstraße 13,
65185 Wiesbaden,
Germany

Contact person: NeDiS Team
Telephone: +49 611322824
NeDiShmdj [dot] hessen [dot] de (Email) | Website