Call for participants: RAN PRISONS - Information exchange between the 4 Ps – police, prosecution, prison and probation in the prison management and reintegration of VETOs

On behalf of the RAN PRISONS Working Group chairs Diletta Berardinelli and Nadya Radkovska, we are currently looking for participants with relevant expertise to take part in a meeting on ‘Information exchange between the 4 Ps (police, prosecution, prison and probation) in the prison management and reintegration of VETOs: practical tools’.

Background and aim of the meeting

At the time a VETO enters prison, there is a wealth of information already held on the individual by different actors, including police, the prosecution service, the judiciary, but also social services and other agencies. The Triple P (police, prison and prosecution) is a key triangle in the larger multi-agency cooperation environment with regard to managing security and promoting resocialisation. All three sectors perform risk assessments, but the tools and interpretation of outcomes might differ. Hence information exchange is key, but a key precondition is mutual trust and understanding of each other’s tools, procedures and the relevance of outcomes for other actors. Strengthening exchanges with prosecution and judicial actors is further needed, as sentencing has a huge impact on the subsequent interventions in prison and beyond.  Practitioners need concrete tools and guidelines on how to set up such information exchanges, what to keep in mind, common pitfalls but also transferable working methods and practices.

The meeting will address information sharing, trust building, cooperation and rules of engagement between different actors (prosecution and judicial actors, police, prison & probation staff, exit workers, among others) involved with VETOs in the prison context. The aim is to provide recommendations for a model information sharing protocol between different professional groups, with key elements/principles to be considered for building trust and setting up cooperation in the risk assessment, prison management of VETOs and rehabilitation/release preparation.

Practitioners we are looking for are:

• Prison and probation staff, police officers, and other practitioners involved in risk assessment, management and rehabilitation of VETOs inside and outside prison settings.
• Representatives of the judicial authorities (e.g. prosecutors, judges) directly involved in the investigation and/or prosecution of violent extremist or terrorist offences.

Registration and deadline

If you are interested in participating at this meeting, please fill out this form by 10 March. We will invite participants based on the information provided therein. Please keep in mind that we only have a limited amount of places available for this meeting to foster exchange, so participation cannot be guaranteed.  

Please note, the meeting will be held in English (without interpretation).

If you have any further questions, please don´t hesitate to contact niv [dot] zonisviolence-prevention-network [dot] de (Niv ZONIS ) and rositsa [dot] dzhekovaviolence-prevention-network [dot] de (Rositsa DZHEKOVA).