As part of the Counter-Terrorism Agenda, the Commission will identify successful approaches to disengage radicalised inmates and terrorist offenders and will support training of professionals in this field, based on Member States’ experiences and building on the RAN Rehabilitation Manual that provides guidance on rehabilitation and reintegration. The Commission will develop a methodology with common standards in order to evaluate the effectiveness of reintegration programmes with the support of the Internal Security Fund.
The European Commission supports the work of Member States through, for example funding progammes, such as the Internal Security Fund-police and Justice Programme, and EU networks such as the European Organisation for Prisons and Correctional Services, European Penitentiary Training Academies Network and the European Judicial Training Network. These instruments support the development of risk assessment tools, such as VERA-2R, de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programmes and training. Following the final report of the High Level Commission Expert Group on Radicalisation, the Steering Board on Radicalisation identified prisons, probation and rehabilitation as one of the strategic priorities for 2019 when it comes to the prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism, allowing for more coordinated and intensified efforts on EU level.
In this context, the work of the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) is of particular importance. The RAN brings together various activities under a Rehabilitation Roadmap sharing practices, recommendations and lessons learned among practitioners in dedicated expert meetings from relevant RAN working groups, such as the RAN Police Working Group, the RAN Prison and Probation Working Group and the RAN Youth, Families and Communities Working Group. In addition, the RAN presents a Manual on Rehabilitation and Reintegration at a policy and practice event for policy makers and practitioners in September 2019.