RAN PRISONS - Practical methods and approaches to conducting multi-agency case conferences of violent extremist or terrorist offenders (VETOs), Barcelona 04-05 June 2024

Across the EU, exit work and DDR programmes (deradicalisation, disengagement and resocialisation) differ substantially in terms of implementing actors, type of programmes, objectives, as well as target groups and setting. Previous RAN PRISONS meetings have concluded with the recognition that multi-agency case conferences are essential for managing programming for violent extremist or terrorist offenders (VETOs). This is where all relevant stakeholders meet periodically, according to necessity or other frequency and with a range of possible stakeholders participating to share information and discuss the developments and future interventions in the disengagement, deradicalisation and rehabilitation of the inmate. 

This Working Group meeting focused on the “how”, aiming to come up with practical methods and approaches for conducting these multi-agency case conferences. We heard from participants who shared examples of good practices from their local contexts, discussed the conditions for their implementation, and explored the opportunities and limits of this approach. 

The consensus among meeting participants was that different stakeholders bring different positive attributes to this field, and that multi-agency case conferences allow them to be greater than a sum of their parts, as long as there is clear leadership and delineation of responsibilities; alignment on goals, values, and terminology; and most importantly, the establishment of trust between stakeholders. 

• Involving VETOs and their families at some stages of the multi-agency case conferences will lead to better outcomes: through improved continuity, increased compliance, and onward support throughout the DDR process. 
• Civil society organisations are well placed to coordinate multi-agency case conferences due to their flexibility to personalise rehabilitation programming, adapt to changing needs, and maintain a role throughout the process when others have a more tightly defined remit relevant to specific phases. 
• Establishing alignment of values, goals, and communications approaches is foundational for effective multi-agency case conferences as the different stakeholders are not automatically aligned on any of these points. Prioritising this and establishing common standard operating procedures, backed up with joint training, will lead to better results. 
• Many countries have different structures, multistakeholder dynamics, and face different challenges in terms of VETOs leading to a difficulty in transposing one country’s experience and good practices directly into a new setting. However, there are some common themes, principles, and approaches, which, if contextualised appropriately, could be useful across all member states.