The number of individuals incarcerated in prisons across Europe for violent extremism and terrorist-related offences – including both those convicted of domestic terrorism and returned foreign terrorist fighters – has increased in recent years. The management and rehabilitation of these individuals both during incarceration and after release is therefore one of the biggest P/ CVE challenges facing EU Member States today.
This work is both complex, has multiple challenges and requires multi-stakeholder cooperation. The disengagement and rehabilitation of violent extremists within prisons is of primary concern. Meanwhile prisons face a number of related challenges, including the radicalisation of prisoners detained for non-terrorist related offences, even cases of radicalisation of prison staff, and the handling of female prisoners.
The disengagement, rehabilitation and ultimately reintegration of individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences requires the coordination between police, prison and probation services. It involves the participation of a number of individuals and organisations, including intervention providers, psychiatrists, prison chaplains and many more.
Within this context, this edition of the RAN Practitioners Spotlight magazine looks at some of the key issues facing prisons today – such as the management of risk, the training of prison staff, the handling of female prisoners and the need for a prison-exit continuum – and hears from some of the people working in them. Within this Spotlight you can also find links to various publications and products produced by RAN Practitioners on the subject.
As always, we want to hear from you! If you would like to contribute to future editions of Spotlight, or if you have ideas for an article, interview or feature, please get in touch with the ran
radaradvies [dot] nl (RAN Practitioners communications team).