HF II Regional - Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons

As part of the second phase of the European Union and the Council of Europe co-funded cooperation framework “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility II), the Council of Europe implemented a Regional Action on “Enhancing penitentiaries capacities in addressing radicalization in prisons in Western Balkans”. The Action was implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Justice and the P/CVE coordination bodies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Republic of Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia…. The Action included a wide spectrum of other national stakeholders and civil society organizations active in the penitentiary field and countering violent extremism and radicalisation in prisons.

The main aim of the Action was to enhance regional security by improving the inter-institutional exchange of knowledge and good practices in the region in respect of radicalization in prisons, with a view on providing penitentiary system staff with necessary standards, tools and instruments needed to respond appropriately. Another important goal was to empower in-county multi-agency coordination to counter radicalization in prison and to provide adequate post-penal support to released violent extremist offenders.

The Action also assisted the national authorities to ensure that the application of the tools and mechanisms on national level with regards to addressing radicalisation in prisons further strengthens in light of the identified good practices in the region.

The Action’s duration was set at 36 months and it iwas completed by 31 December 2022, with an overall budget of 2,000,000.000 Euros.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

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Back North Macedonia hosted prison practitioners from the region, discussing best way forward for reintegration of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs)

@ Council of Europe

A study visit to North Macedonia, which took place on 05-06 July 2022, provided an excellent settings to selected prison staff from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* to exchange practices and learn from the North Macedonian’s approaches when it comes to screening, risk assessment, management and post-penal support to violent extremist prisoners (VEPs).

The participants jointly discussed staff training on combatting radicalisation and violent extremism, how to extend outreach and ensure sustainable training provision. They also benefitted by sharing their experiences on rehabilitation tools and multi-disciplinary approaches and interventions. One of the most complex aspects, namely securing preconditions for inter-agency engagement during VEPs’ preparation for release and ensuring their active involvement in providing assistance towards their reintegration back into their communities, was also discussed and practices were exchanged.

The delegation visited premises of the prison in Kumanovo and the prison staff training centre located in Idrizovo prison near Skopje. They also met the Director of the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice, the National CT/CVE coordinator and representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Centre for Social Care in Skopje.

The activity was implemented under the regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans”, within the Horizontal Facility Program for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

North Macedonia 6 July 2022