Seminar and training for prison staff

Federal Ministry of Austria, Constitutional Affairs, Reforms, Deregulation and Justice

Type of Organisation: Governmental institution

During the 1-day seminar, prison staff should increase their understanding of radicalisation, extremism and terrorism, especially radicalisation in prison and the processes of radicalisation.

The seminar also provides an overview of Islamism and Salafism, right- and left-wing extremism, and relevant groups in Austria; moreover, it covers indicators of radicalisation and procedures to follow once radicalisation has been detected.

The seminar is divided into three units, with teachers and speakers specially qualified in this area from the prison services, the Network for Social Cohesion, Dialogue, Extremism-Prevention and Democracy (Netzwerk sozialer Zusammenhalt für Dialog, Extremismusprävention und Demokratie) (DERAD) and the Federal Agency for State Protection and Counter Terrorism.

The target audiences are:

• prison staff (further training);
• prison staff in vocational training (basic training and prison officers in service).

The short seminar currently forms part of further training for volunteers and is a compulsory component of basic training. An ‘advanced’ programme lasting 2 to 3 days is planned, for those wishing to pursue further training. Since November 2016, around 900 members of staff have benefited from the training.

Face-to-face training. The training started in November 2016 — although a 1-day seminar is very short (in order to respond to the many questions raised by participants), it is nevertheless sufficient to raise participants’ awareness.

It was developed from scratch and is not linked to other initiatives or theories.

Emails