A clear definition and division of institutional roles and well-defined operational procedures among prisons, probation services, and other relevant stakeholders form the cornerstone for effective inter-agency cooperation in preventing radicalisation and violent extremism. This is essential to ensuring a coordinated and continuous approach to the management of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs), their preparation for release, and their rehabilitation and reintegration into local communities.

This was highlighted as a key conclusion of the workshop on identifying the needs of VEPs and offenders in Montenegro during pre-release preparation, post-penal rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as evaluating their rehabilitation progress. The workshop was organised in partnership with the Office of Montenegro’s National Coordinator for P/CVE, with Ministry of Interior and the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice in Montengro.

The workshop participants, including representatives from the correctional facilities, probation services, local communities, relevant ministries, and national operational teams for prevention and countering of violent extremism (P/CVE), gained greater insight into the necessary procedures for preparing prisoners for release, as well as the procedures to be undertaken after release. These procedures contribute to strengthening the capacity to provide support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of VEPs, as well as other prisoners vulnerable to radicalisation in Montenegro.

The workshop also aimed to identify areas for improvement in existing mechanisms for inter-institutional cooperation and information exchange, and to explore ways to strenghten cooperation between the services responsible for preparing prisoner for release and providing support in local communities following the completion of their sentence.

Of particular importance was the exchange of experiences with peer colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), who shared good practices, expertise, and practical knowledge in the management of VEPs, their preparation for release and their subsequent rehabilitation, reintegration, and resocialisation within local communities. They also presented examples of good practices in providing support to families of foreign terrorist fighters-returnees from the foreign battel fields. The experiences shared by the BiH colleagues, from the prison sector and the social protection sector, were extremely valuable, contributing to bilateral knowledge transfer and contributing to efforts to strengthen inter-institutional coordination and information exchange regarding in support to the effective rehabilitation, reintegration, and resocialisation of these individuals following their release from prison or return to their country of origin.

The regional action will continue to further build institutional capacities in Montenegro to successfully develop preventive mechanisms and response mechanisms in the context of radicalisation and violent extremism.

The Workshop is part of the Council of Europe’s ongoing support to Montenegro implemented by the regional action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release”, under the auspices of the European Union and the third phase of the Horizontal Facility Program.