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 Online training on the implementation of the Grant Agreements

The Regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans” provides for a grant scheme for the Beneficiaries in support to the establishment of local multi-agency coordination that will foster the reintegration of released radicalised inmates and violent extremist prisoners back into the society.

On 20 April 2021 representatives from the grantee institutions and organisations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo*, received a training on the practical aspects of implementation of grants and reporting requirements, including the templates designed specifically for the grant scheme, in line with the Council of Europe programmatic and financial rules and procedures.

The overall aim of the grant scheme was presented and discussed with the participants, who expressed their readiness and commitment to fully implement the agreed workplans under the agreements, as soon as preconditions allow for organisation of in-person meetings.

Grant Agreements were signed with five Western Balkan Beneficiaries within the scope of the Regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans” that is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, 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.

Online 20 April 2021